Milton Kotler

Milton Kotler, a longtime resident of Washington, D.C., died on the morning of August 9, 2022. Milton dedicated himself to neighborhoods, making music with friends, lively conversation, writing, thinking, cooking savory meals, and love of his extended family.

Milton was born in Chicago to Maurice and Betty Kotler in 1935. He grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood and attended the University of Chicago, where he received a B.A. and a M.A. in political science.

In 1963, Kotler joined the new Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) in Washington, D.C. as a Fellow. A scholar and activist, Kotler wrote Neighborhood Government: The Local Foundations of Political Life (1969), in which he explored the historical annexation of self-governing towns by central cities. Further, Kotler posits the neighborhood as the basic unit of local government and the city, properly constituted, as a metropolitan federation of neighborhoods.

Kotler’s grassroots action focused on organizing assembly-based, self-governing neighborhood corporations in numerous U.S. cities, community development, and prison education. He also helped draft the legislation with Congressman Don Fraser (D-Minn) that created D.C.’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in 1974.

In 1976, Kotler left IPS and served until 1980 as the Executive Director of the National Association of Neighborhoods (NAN), of which he was a founder. During Kotler’s tenure as Executive Director, NAN focused on expanding community health centers, seeking government investment to support small business and cooperatives in neighborhoods, and empowering neighborhood assemblies and elected councils with greater weight in municipal legislation and zoning decisions.

In the 1980s and early 90s, Kotler served as a partner and Vice-President of the Center for Responsive Governance, which assisted non-profits in identifying new fundraising and revenue opportunities. He was the managing editor of the Journal of Community Action and coauthored Building Neighborhood Organizations with James V. Cunningham in 1983.

In 1994, Kotler formalized his increasing focus on marketing consulting. He founded Kotler Marketing Group (KMG), a marketing strategy firm that serves corporate and non-profit clients domestically and abroad. From 2000, the focus of his consulting work has been in China, to which he traveled frequently. Kotler is the coauthor with his brother Philip Kotler of Market Your Way to Growth (2013) and Winning Global Markets (2014).

Kotler’s love of music inspired him to serve as President of the Board of Directors of the Washington Symphony Orchestra (WSO), a mostly volunteer but skilled ensemble of roughly sixty musicians, in which he was a violinist. From 1992–96, the WSO offered free concerts to the Washington-area public from DAR Constitution Hall. Highlights of the orchestra’s offerings during Kotler’s tenure include Mozart’s Magic Flute conducted by Victor Borge, an evening with Pete Seeger accompanied by the orchestra, and a performance of the musical 1776 with members of Congress in the leading roles.

In recent years, Kotler focused on writing memoirs and short fiction. His Final Impressions (2018) is a collection of intimate portraits of friends and colleagues over the years. Kotler’s autobiography, Seek or Perish: Tales of Wonder and Good Cheer, is forthcoming.

Milton engaged in many hobbies throughout his life. He loved playing the violin and piano, tending to his garden, painting, dressing to the nines, and collecting all manner of items including books, sheet music, and paintings by dear friends. Milton inspired his family and friends to earnestly pursue their own passions in life, just as he did.

Survivors include Greta Kotler, Milton’s loving wife of 46 years, his children Tony, Josh, Jonathan, and Becca Kotler, five grandchildren, and his brother Philip Kotler. Milton is greatly loved and will be dearly missed.