I’ve been struggling with exactly what I want people to know about Chris. That struggle isn’t because I can’t think of anything to say. It’s because there is so much.

I could tell people how he used a communication board to talk. And whatever he said, however brief, was meaningful. Chris’ use of brevity kept me very focused on what he was saying. He taught me to ask direct questions to get precise answers.

I could share how he was the first person to arrive for Council meetings.  There is a saying that 90% of success is showing up. Chris exemplified that. When we met, Chris was early and ready to work.

I could brag about how seriously he took his role as a GCDD Councilmember. 2026 was going to be Chris’s last year on the Council. In this final year he was more engaged than ever.

Chris was smart, funny, and someone you could count on.

Of course, if you knew him, you knew all of this already. If not, now you know too.

I will miss you Chris. And I know you will rest in peace.

Jon

Author: Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Arkansas. He began leading the Council’s staff in August of 2021. Before that, Jon was a retail field manager with a decade of successful experience in competitive, integrated employment. Over the last several years, Jon has taken a progressively larger role in promoting disability inclusion in Arkansas. He serves on the boards of: Disability: In Arkansas (formerly the Business Leadership Network), the Arkansas State Rehabilitation Council, Seamless Transition in ARkansas (STAR), and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, among others. Jon has been recognized and awarded for his work promoting and advocating for the inclusion of Arkansans with disabilities in the workplace and wider community. Jon and his wife live in Conway; they have three children.