T
he passing of our friend and CEO, Dr. Michael Christman, at the end of 2017 was a great loss to all of us here at Coriell. While we knew him to be a visionary and forward thinking scientist, it was a valued reminder to us of Mike’s impact on the state and biomedical research community at large to have received formal recognition of Mike’s many contributions from our legislators in Trenton and in Washington, D.C.
New Jersey State Senator James Beach, a longtime friend to Coriell, brought together elected officials from both the fifth and sixth New Jersey State legislative districts to sponsor a Joint Legislative Resolution honoring Mike’s memory and his contributions to science and the state of New Jersey. The resolution, sponsored by State Senators Beach and Nilsa Cruz-Perez, and Assemblypersons Greenwald, Lampitt, Barclay and Egan Jones and signed by both Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Coughlin, paid tribute to his “meritorious legacy of service, leadership, and commitment” and honored him as having “established a model to emulate and set a standard of excellence toward which others might strive.”
From the Washington, D.C. delegation, Senator Cory Booker and Congressman Donald Norcross both shared their appreciation for Mike’s contribution. Senator Booker penned a personal letter to Mike’s family expressing his deepest sympathies and offering kind words of support. Congressman Norcross issued a proclamation in honor of Mike’s dedication to the scientific community. The proclamation states that Mike was a “leader in the field of medical research, […] whose legacy and efforts enhanced the quality of life for so many Americans.”
The members of the Coriell family knew Mike not only as a friend and colleague but also as a brilliant scientist whose contributions to the field of biobanking and personalized medicine were immeasurable. The recognition he received from our elected officials in Trenton and Washington, D.C. reminds us of the honor it was to know and work with him.
