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 <Leslie.Meehan(a)tn.gov>
To: Ed Christopher <edc(a)berwyned.com>
*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(a)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
<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.