Cornerstones group now Preserve Chattanooga
Cornerstones Inc., Chattanooga’s historic preservation nonprofit, has officially changed its name to Preserve Chattanooga.
Established in 1975 as Landmarks Chattanooga, the organization became known as Cornerstones in 1994. After 28 years as Cornerstones, the nonprofit has rebranded itself to clarify its purpose and the community it serves, according to the group.
The board of directors first discussed a name change in 2021 after the retirement of Ann Gray, the former Cornerstones executive director who led preservation efforts in Chattanooga for many years.
In November, Todd Morgan was selected to become the new executive director. During a board retreat last January, it became clear that “cornerstone” was a term being used by a broad variety of businesses in the Chattanooga area and that the board members desired a name that more clearly conveyed what the organization does and for whom. Preserve Chattanooga emerged after much discussion and was approved unanimously.
“Everyone is very excited about the new name, and we’re looking forward to the Chattanooga community getting to know us better,” Morgan said in a news release.
Forbes Names Unum to top 40 in diversity
For the third year, employee benefits provider Unum is named as one of the Forbes 2022 America’s Best Employers for Diversity. The company ranks 39 out of 500 companies, moving up 34 spots from last year, according to Unum.
In the insurance category, Unum makes the top 10 list again, moving up one spot to No. 7.
“An appreciation for differences is part of Unum’s foundation,” Ericka DeBruce, the Chattanooga-based company’s chief inclusion and diversity officer, said in a news release. “We foster belonging and inclusion to support our collective efforts to create an equitable culture, inclusive teams and a representative workforce. This leads to true diversity of thought.”
Last year, the company’s inclusion and diversity team restructured its employee and business networks to foster belonging and uniqueness across the enterprise, according to Unum. Since July 2020, Unum has contributed over $700,000 to programs focused on equality, economic justice and civic engagement through the Social Justice Fund.
Musk sells Tesla stock as he purchases Twitter
In the three days after he announced he had a deal to buy Twitter, Elon Musk has sold $8.5 billion worth of Tesla to help fund the purchase.
Musk reported the sales in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday and Friday. Analysts say the deal could make Tesla investors nervous that Musk, who is the electric vehicle maker’s CEO, will be distracted by Twitter and less engaged in running Tesla.
Musk is also Tesla’s largest shareholder and there is also concern that he would have to unload a large number of Tesla shares to finance the acquisition.
Exxon profits surge despite hit from Russia
Exxon Mobil reported $5.48 billion in profits during the first quarter as oil and gas prices rose steadily. That was more than double its profits during the same quarter last year.
But the oil giant took a huge hit as it abandoned its Russian operations due to the war, and it wrote down $3.4 billion.
The price of oil climbed steadily during the quarter after Russia invaded Ukraine, sending European countries which rely heavily on Russia for energy and others scrambling to find alternative sources for fuel.
New gas pipeline aid Europe gas supplies
ATHENS, Greece – European countries that are dependent on Russian imports are looking to get greater access to the global natural gas market through a new pipeline that crosses a remote border area of Greece and Bulgaria.
The pipeline is nearing completion, and it would ensure that large volumes of gas flows between the two countries in both directions. The project is seen as an urgent priority following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and decision this week to cut off gas supplies to European Union members Poland and Bulgaria
.The 110-mile Greece-Bulgaria pipeline connection is the first of several planned interconnectors as EU members scramble to edit their energy mixes to reduce reliance on Russia.
– Compiled by Dave Flessner