Winooski deputy mayor and state representative Hal Colston announces retirement
Hal Colston.
Winooski’s deputy mayor and state representative, Harold “Hal” Colston, announced during the Winooski City Council meeting Dec. 6 that he was to retire his roles on the council and as a state lawmaker.
“I just want to work on the next chapter of my life,” said Colston, who will turn 69 next April. “I’ll be in Aruba as of October 1st next year.”
“It’s been a great experience to represent our city locally and at the state level, and I hope to keep in touch with all of you,” Colston said.
Colston was elected to the Winooski council in 2018, and shortly after Governor Scott appointed him as Winooski’s representative in 2019. He said he will serve out the remainder of his terms on the council and in the legislature.
Before he went into government, Colston had a long list of philanthropic and community-oriented roles. He spent 18 years in the culinary world as a chef and later as a teacher at the New England Culinary Institute, according to his legislator’s biography.
Colston founded the Good News Garage and NeighborKeepers, and was appointed executive director of SerVermont by Governor Peter Shumlin in 2011. In 2013, Colston was the Partnership for Change director until 2018.
The Burlington Free Press named Rep. Colston “Vermonter of the Year” for 2014.
“Thanks, Hal, for all of your service, I’m glad we have a couple more months to keep working together,” said Mayor Kristine Lott at the meeting after Colston announced his retirement. “Well-deserved retirement plans that sound wonderful to me.”
View published article in The Winooski News.
