Colin Van Ostern

Colin Van Ostern
Member of the Executive Council of New Hampshire
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
2012
Preceded by Daniel St. Hilaire
Personal details
Born (1979-02-14) February 14, 1979
Carlsbad, California, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater George Washington University
Dartmouth College
Website Official website

Colin Van Ostern (born February 14, 1979) is a New Hampshire businessman and politician serving on the New Hampshire Executive Council, where he has represented the people of 49 towns and cities within District 2 since being first elected in 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party,[1] and is a candidate for Governor of New Hampshire in 2016.[2]

Early Life and Education

Van Ostern was born in Carlsbad, California, and moved repeatedly as a young child, arriving in New Hampshire in 2001 in his early twenties.[3] He received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire in 2009.[4] He attended high school in Richmond, Virginia, and college in Washington, DC at George Washington University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000 in International Relations.

Professional Career

Van Ostern currently works as Chief Marketing Officer at College for America[5] at Southern New Hampshire University, a nonprofit school focused on providing a college education to individuals within the work force interested in furthering their education. College for America works directly with students’ employers to ensure that each student can gain their education while continuing their career, usually with little or no debt. Van Ostern joined the school shortly before its launch in 2013.

Previously, he was a business manager at Stonyfield, Inc., where he managed various brands and business lines for the world’s largest organic yogurt maker.[6]

In 2004, he founded a business-consulting firm called Washington Street Consulting. As the principal of his consulting firm, Van Ostern advised over 30 nonprofits and small businesses. He has also served as a senior advisor to various elected officials including U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, and before moving to New Hampshire in 2001.

Political Career

Van Ostern won a seat on the New Hampshire Executive Council in 2012, succeeding former Executive Councilor Daniel St. Hilaire. He was re-elected in 2014.

Commuter Rail

Van Ostern was first elected to the Executive Council after campaigning on the importance of building passenger rail from Boston to central New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Capitol Corridor rail project was halted by the Executive Council in 2011, but continued in 2013 after Van Ostern was elected. A study focused on the production of the rail system and funded by the state of New Hampshire was completed in 2015, finding that rail from Boston to Manchester would result in a projected 5,600 new permanent jobs and 3,630 additional construction jobs.[7]

Healthcare and Reproductive Rights

Van Ostern has been a strong advocate for providing accessible healthcare options for all New Hampshire citizens. In 2014, he voted with a majority 3-2[8] on the Executive Council to enact the New Hampshire Health Protection Plan, which has since expanded Medicaid to over 40,000[9] New Hampshire citizens.

Van Ostern publicly opposed Republican members of the Executive Council when they voted against funding family planning services at New Hampshire’s Planned Parenthood health centers in both 2011 and 2015, and in 2015 he was awarded[10] the Champion of Choice award by NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire, the state’s largest grassroots organization dedicated solely to reproductive rights.

Ending the 2014–2015 Fairpoint Strike

In October 2014, 1,700 workers at Fairpoint Communications in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont went on strike after the company froze pensions, implemented pay reductions for new employees, and limited health care benefits.[11] By late November, negotiations between the two sides had reached an impasse. On December 23,[12] Van Ostern asked state officials to delay a proposed $13 million contract for state phone and data service with Fairpoint, citing the poor consumer service levels in the wake of the strike. Members of the striking labor union, IBEW, used the contract delay to call on the company to return to negotiations. Negotiations between the company and striking workers resumed on January 4, 2015[13] and the contract was passed unanimously on the Executive Council later that month. The strike was resolved in early February, and was the nation’s largest and longest in 2014.[14]

Personal Life

Van Ostern lives in Concord, New Hampshire, with his wife, two sons, and their dog.

References

  1. ↑ "3 Dems, 2 Republicans Elected to Executive Council". Windham Patch, November 7, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mark Connolly planning to run for governor". Union LeaderWMUR. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Colin Van Ostern found home for him when he moved to NH". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Tuck alum Colin Van Ostern announces campaign for N.H. governor". TheDartmouth.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ "About College for America at SNHU". College For America. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Stonyfield stirs up the yogurt market". fortune.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Initial Capitol Corridor Rail Study Results Show Substantial Economic Impact for New Hampshire". nhrta.org. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  8. ↑ https://www.nh.gov/council/district2/reports/2014/documents/20140716.pdf
  9. ↑ "Facts prove value of expanded Medicaid". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Timeline Photos – NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire – Facebook". facebook.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Striking FairPoint workers ratify agreement ending 4-month strike". WMUR. February 22, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ "New Hampshire delays vote on FairPoint bid". Burlington Free Press. December 23, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ "FairPoint and striking workers resume talks, but won't comment on them – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ "FairPoint strike was country’s largest, only ongoing strike started in 2014". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved October 6, 2015.

External links

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