Chris served the City of Summit as city administrator, was a 28 year member of the fire department, the last ten as chief. He is a past chair of the SAGE Eldercare board of trustees. He is the principal of Cotter Strategies LLC,  serves as an instructor at the National Fire Academy, serves on the board of directors of Summit Helping Its People and is a member of the finance council of Saint Teresa of Avila Church and the 200 Club of Union County. He further serves on the advisory boards of Green Wood Gardens and the fire science program at New Jersey City University.