From: Rose, Ken
(CDC/DDNID/NCCDPHP/DNPAO) [mailto:kfr2@cdc.gov]
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2020 5:10 PM
To: Rose, Ken (CDC/DDNID/NCCDPHP/DNPAO)
<kfr2@cdc.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Memorial for Chris Kochtitzky
(Zoom)
As a friend and colleague of Chris Kochtitzky, I wanted to share
updated information about how his community is honoring his life
after we tragically lost him on May 3
rd. Given the
tremendous network of people who knew Chris, and the sudden and
unexpected loss, CDC colleagues and friends have organized a
Zoom memorial to his life and friendships on
Wednesday, May 20 at 1pm. See below for the
specific Zoom information.
In addition, the CDC Foundation has established a memorial fund
honoring Chris that focuses on building the bridge between urban
planning and public health. More information is available at
https://give.cdcfoundation.org/Kochtitzky.
Sharing memories of Chris with each other is also an important
healing process. Many of you have already shared memories of
Chris. Below and attached are some highlights:
Chris’ Work
-
Public Health Agents of Change: Chris
Kochtitzky
-
Some of the Biggest Problems Sometimes
Have the Simplest Solutions
-
National Center for Environmental
Health Designs Criteria for Obtaining Sustainable Community
Status
-
Urban Planning and Public Health at CDC
(MMWR)
Tributes
-
In Fond Memory of a Beloved and
Respected Colleague, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s
Court.”
-
Christopher Kochtitzky: A Good Agent, A
Good Man (Jackson Free Press)
-
Caring Bridge Website
Chris’ friends are also putting a digital memory book to honor
him. Please feel free to e-mail me photos or short messages
you’d like for us to include by COB, Monday 5/18 if possible.
For those of you who did not receive the CDC announcement of his
death, I have included it below. It summarizes Chris’ incredible
professional journey.
Thank you for being part of honoring Chris’ memory and if you
know people who were close to Chris and would want to attend
this event please forward this announcement to them.
Sincerely,
Ken
Chris’ Friend and Colleague
CDC
Announcement
It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of CDC
employee Chris Kochtitzky.
Chris started at CDC as a presidential management intern in 1992
and worked for several years as a policy analyst in ATSDR. In
1997, he moved to the NCEH Office of Policy, Evaluation, and
Legislation where he served as its deputy director. In 2003,
after serving for two years as the associate director of Policy
for the Division of Emergency and Environmental Health
Services, he served a year as the branch chief of the Disability
and Health Branch in NCBDDD, and later became the deputy
director of the Division of Human Development and Disability. In
2006, he was appointed by former CDC Director Julie Gerberding,
MD, to lead the healthy community goal team, where he served
until 2009. From 2009 to 2017, he served as the associate
director for program development for the NCEH Division of
Emergency and Environmental Health Services before joining the
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) as
a senior advisor for the Physical Activity Branch.
As a senior advisor in DNPAO, he served as an expert on the
development of evidence-based guidelines and recommendations to
increase physical activity across the country. He provided
technical and subject matter expertise to state and community
programs in the areas of policy, systems, and environmental
interventions designed to promote active living. In his role
with DNPAO and his collaboration across CDC, Chris supported
program evaluation, strategic planning, and partner and
stakeholder engagement in the areas of active living and related
health promotion.
He authored several publications including a 2006
MMWR
on urban planning and public health and a 2011 article on
ensuring mobility-supporting environments in aging populations
in the
Journal
of Aging Research, as well as book chapters on
environmental health law and the impact of the built environment
on human development. He presented at numerous conferences and
meetings throughout the United States, served as a panelist for
the CDC Public Health Grand Rounds on Healthy Places in May
2007, and was recently recognized as a Public Health Agent of
Change by CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.
Chris was also one of the founders of the field of built
environment and health at CDC. He published an influential
MMWR
on the subject in 2006, helped organize CDC’s Built Environment
and Health Group in 2008, and was a key contributor to the
Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable
Communities in 2015. Most recently, he was a driving force in
organizing the Transportation Research Board (TRB), Conference
on Active Transportation and Health. His work in this area
supported TRB’s decision to create a Committee on Transportation
and Health in February, a seminal moment in the field.
Chris befriended and maintained relationships with so many
inside and outside the agency. He served as a mentor to the
Presidential Management Fellows program, as well as to
participants in multiple other internships and fellowships
across CDC. He was always willing to offer advice and found
creative and practical solutions to wide ranges of public health
problems, particularly those requiring an interdisciplinary
approach. He was a tenacious public health professional pursuing
his work with vigor, charm, wisdom, and intelligence. His death
is a major loss for his friends, his field, and for the agency’s
work.
As one of the initial urban planners hired at CDC, Chris worked
tirelessly as a bridge between the fields of planning and public
health. In 2010, he began serving as an adjunct professor at
Emory University and taught a course on Public Health and the
Built Environment, with joint enrollment from Emory public
health students and Georgia Tech urban planning, architecture,
and engineering students. Through all of his work, Chris was
known for the strength of the partnerships he developed and
maintained. His networks allowed for the spread and scale of
science and implementation of programs across federal, state,
and local agencies as well as the private and non-profit
sectors.
Zoom Access
Please click the link below to join
the webinar: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1608776001?pwd=bWJoeThKSmViL0ZTUFgrR3lDN1Rpdz09
Password: 206077
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +16692545252,,1608776001#,,1#,206077# or
+16468287666,,1608776001#,,1#,206077#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current
location):
US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666
Webinar ID: 160 877 6001
Password: 206077
International numbers available: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/u/auP2p73rT
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323: 161.199.138.10 (US West) or 161.199.136.10 (US East)
Meeting ID: 160 877 6001
Password: 206077
SIP: 1608776001@sip.zoomgov.com
Password: 206077
Accessibility
CDC encourages participation by people with disabilities. The
memorial will be captioned via web (Web CART) at
https://www.captionedtext.com/client/event.aspx?EventID=4444424&CustomerID=321.
For those using a mobile device, go to
https://www.captionedtext.com and enter Event ID: 4444424.
An ASL Interpreter will also be available.