In September 2016 at the Shelburne Museum, we honored and thanked a legend, Shelburne Town Clerk Colleen Haag.  Colleen was a magnificent public servant, genuinely kind and universally respected. 

We recognized her 35 years of continuous, professional and faithful service, and we extended our deepest and most heartfelt thanks for her devotion, loyalty, honesty, integrity and for being the face of Shelburne every day for almost 35 years.   

Colleen, of course, spent most of her time in the Clerk’s Office serving all of us with kindness, professionalism and non-partisanship. The Town Of Shelburne’s Clerk Office is now Haag Hall. 

With recognition that we are a town of volunteers and public servants and that our strength lies with our residents, our volunteers, and our staff, the Selectboard with great community support, decided beginning March 2017, at Town Meeting and every Town Meeting thereafter, that Shelburne would recognize one of its own with a Public Service Award to be presented to someone who by his or her actions exemplify the spirit of public service, who has shared his or her time, talent and energy for the betterment of our community, who inspires purpose, who drives lasting solutions, someone who makes a difference.  We named that award The Colleen Haag Public Service Award. 

The design of The Colleen Haag Pubic Service Award itself is symbolic and special.  In 1963 the 9th Earl of Shelburne – a direct descendant of the 2nd Earl of Shelburne for whom this Town is named – visited Shelburne in celebration of the town’s 200th Anniversary. 

He was 22 at the time and brought with him a silver bowl as a gift.  This silver bowl is currently living in the Town Vault.  Town Manager Joe Colangelo recently has been in contact with the 9th Earl of Shelburne who is thrilled to have the Colleen Haag Public Service Award designed in tribute to the silver bowl.