Jack Katz Remembered by Assemblywoman Jacobs, District Leader Powell

Jack Katz, a long-standing member of the community who passed away Nov. 29, was remembered by political leaders this week who said the executive director of the Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District was "a special blessing to our communities."

Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs, her staff and District Leader Ed Powell extended their condolences to the Katz family Monday, with Jacobs noting that "the Flatbush community has lost a treasured icon.”  

"He almost single-handedly planned and executed all Flatbush Avenue BID projects: securing necessary funds, coordinating government agencies and public officials, designing and placing advertisements, and the myriad other unsung but vital functions of his position," said Powell.

"As the Executive Director of the Flatbush Avenue BID, Jack Katz functioned with virtually no staff or computers, but maintained close oversight of the BID’s operations for the past 22 years," a release about his passing said. 

Katz was a member of Community Board 14, a supporter of the 70th Precinct Community Council and an active member of the East Midwood Jewish Center, “but the public knew Jack best for his altruism,” Jacobs said. 

Prior to joining the BID, Katz and his wife, Rita owned and operated a store on Flatbush Avenue, the release said. 

After retiring, Katz became executive director of the Flatbush Avenue BID where he was instrumental in finding employment for youths and adults.

Each year, through the BID, he provided tickets for children to attend sports events, sponsored holiday parties for hundreds of neighborhood children, and he also coordinated an annual Thanksgiving dinner for the needy.