Title
To honor and congratulate Mr. Chester C. Christie on his selection as the 64th Most Worshipful Grand Master of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons.
Body
WHEREAS, Chester C. Christie is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies and the son of Clinton and Olga Christie and was raised and educated in Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Christie earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Brooklyn College where he graduated cum laude in June of 1978 - Chet later relocated to Columbus, Ohio and was admitted to The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in June 1981; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Christie went on to have an amazing Labor Law and Human Resources Management career serving as: General Counsel to the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association; he was appointed to the State of Ohio Employment Relations Board as an Administrative Law Judge where he served for 8 years; he was appointed Deputy Director, Division of Human Resources with the Ohio Department of Youth Services where he served with distinction from 1992 until February 11, 2000; he was appointed to the Cabinet of Mayor Michael B. Coleman and served as the Director of the Department of Human Resources for the City of Columbus from February 14, 2000 until his retirement in November of 2014 - in this capacity he oversaw the City's Employee Benefits, EEO, Labor Relations, Compensation Management, Staff Training and Development, Occupational Health and Safety and, Drug-free Workplace programs and in 2014 he received Columbus CEO Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for H R Excellence - In May of 2015, the Chester C. Christie Training Center was dedicated in his honor because of his outstanding service to the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Christie has been a member of the Second Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio for more than 40 years - in this role he has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, the Building and Development Committees, the Male Chorus and as Servant-Leader of the Men's Fellowship Ministry and has served on numerous boards and commissions and maintains an active membership in several Human Resources professional organizations; he has also taught the Legal Aspects of Human Resources Management as an Adjunct Professor at Franklin University; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Christie was initiated an Entered apprentice 10/20/1981; passed to the degree of Fellow craft 11/17/1981; and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason on 1/3/1982 in St. Mark’s Lodge #7, Columbus Ohio - over the years Mr. Christie has served with distinction in a number of leadership capacities including service as St. Mark’s Lodge as Worshipful Master in 1989 - Mr. Christie was elevated to the honorary 33rd and last degree of Freemasonry, as a member of the Courtney P. Houston, Jr. Class of the United Supreme Council, AASR, NJ, USA, PHA in 2006 - he has also served as the MWPHGL of Ohio in several capacities over the last 32 years since receiving his initial appointment as Assistant Grand Attorney from MWPGM Dr. Chester C. Pryor in 1987; moreover Mr. Christie reached the pinnacle of Freemasonry by being afforded the privilege of being elected and installed as the 64th Most Worshipful Grand Master of the MWPHGL of Ohio on August 6, 2019; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Christie is also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and has held local and regional offices with the fraternity; he is married to the former Cheryl Ann Bivins of Kansas City, Missouri and has 2 daughters, Victoria, and Angela, and a Son-In-Law, PM Leonard S. Cousin, II and 1 Grandson, Leon, now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby honor and congratulate Mr. Chester C. Christie on his selection as the 64th Most Worshipful Grand Master of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons.