The City of Chattanooga’s Department of Public Works Administrator Justin Holland announced on Monday that Ricky Colston has been selected as the new director of the City Wide Services Division.
Mr.
Colston has served as the deputy director of City Wide Services since August 2016 and has been a full-time City of Chattanooga employee for 23 years.
A Chattanooga native, Mr. Colston began working for the city at the age of 13 as a street cleaner in a youth jobs program. Since then, he has continued to work in a variety of progressively responsible positions in multiple Public Works operations including streets, drainage, sanitation and landfills. In 2010, he was selected as the Manager of Street Maintenance and Construction.
“Ricky’s passion is serving people, and he’s dedicated his career to improving the lives of our citizens. He has a proven record of successfully managing multiple operations, and I'm confident he’s the right person to lead this large, complex operation,” said Public Works Administrator Justin Holland.
The City Wide Services Division of the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Public Works, includes construction and maintenance of the city’s streets and drainage infrastructure, management of the city's urban forest, and response to roadway emergencies as well as garbage, recycle, brush, bulky trash, and leaf collection and disposal.
Mr. Colston will now lead the division, which was formerly run by long-time city employee Jim Templeton, who retired last year after more than 50 years of service.