Remembering a friend and colleague. -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: FW: Memorial for Chris Kochtitzky (Zoom) Date: Fri, 15 May 2020 20:31:14 +0000 From: Leslie Meehan &lt;Leslie.Meehan(a)tn.gov&gt; To: Ed Christopher &lt;edc(a)berwyned.com&gt; *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) &lt;kfr2(a)cdc.gov&gt; *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 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/give.cdcfoundation.org/Kochtitzky__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0Bnu-VFy8A$>. Sharing memories of Chris with each other is also an important healing process. Many of you have already shared memories of Chris.  Below and attached are some highlights: Chris’ Work -Public Health Agents of Change: Chris Kochtitzky <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.cdc.gov/healthequity/missionpossible/agentsofchange/kochtitzky/index.htm__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0Bm9qGktSA$> -Some of the Biggest Problems Sometimes Have the Simplest Solutions <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyourenvironment/2015/10/16/some-of-the-biggest-problems-sometimes-have-the-simplest-solutions/__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0Bl5tMFJNA$> -National Center for Environmental Health Designs Criteria for Obtaining Sustainable Community Status <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyourenvironment/2014/12/03/nceh-designs-criteria-for-obtaining-sustainable-community-status/__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BnTLbfplA$> -Urban Planning and Public Health at CDC (MMWR) <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su5502a12.htm__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BnL-i0opA$> Tributes -In Fond Memory of a Beloved and Respected Colleague, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/blogs.cdc.gov/yourhealthyourenvironment/2020/05/05/in-fond-memory-of-a-beloved-and-respected-colleague-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BlJH6y5ug$> -Christopher Kochtitzky: A Good Agent, A Good Man <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/may/08/christopher-kochtitzky-good-agent-good-man/__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BlX3L-1Yw$> (Jackson Free Press) -Caring Bridge Website <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.caringbridge.org/visit/chriskochtitzky__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0Bke11e0jw$> 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 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1608776001?pwd=bWJoeThKSmViL0ZTUFgrR3lDN1Rpdz09__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BlTSiSDdw$> Password: 206077 Or iPhone one-tap: US: +16692545252,,1608776001#,,1#,206077# or +16468287666,,1608776001#,,1#,206077# Or Telephone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 Webinar ID: 160 877 6001 Password: 206077 International numbers available: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/u/auP2p73rT <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/cdc.zoomgov.com/u/auP2p73rT__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BkNIcSrFg$> 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(a)sip.zoomgov.com <mailto: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&Custome… <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.captionedtext.com/client/event.aspx?EventID=4444424&CustomerID=321__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0Bl5w_MXcQ$>. For those using a mobile device, go to https://www.captionedtext.com <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.captionedtext.com__;!!PRtDf9A!_MZikvpah7pC91vby-sCoFtJhvr9myVFnWe_S9P7mD4GjidQ7dy_MW6r0BmXp7nfPQ$> and enter Event ID: 4444424. An ASL Interpreter will also be available.