
Mary Fortune covers business news for the Chattanooga Times Free Press and is editor of Edge magazine. She began her career at the newspaper in 1997, covering topics including immigration, health care, the military, courts, and public housing. She also worked as a personal columnist and news editor. In 2008, Fortune left the newspaper for a role in corporate communications, working in media relations, internal communications, and social media for more than 11 years. She returned to the Times Free Press newsroom in 2019. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and has taught media writing as an adjunct at the university.
A while back, I posted a little callout on LinkedIn and asked folks to share stories about their first cars.
by Mary FortuneIt's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when technical training programs at Chattanooga State Community College struggled to recruit students, recalls Jim Barrott, executive vice president of the school's College of Applied Technology.
by Mary FortuneAs the Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute turns 25 years old in 2021, the nonprofit group is preparing to launch a new headquarters and coworking space on the third floor of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce space on Broad Street.
by Mary FortuneJulie Daniel Davis took early retirement in May from her role leading instructional technology at a local private school, but she's just getting started when it comes to advocating for technology in education.
by Mary FortuneHolly Bischoff knew from her first week in finance at EMJ Construction in 2004 that she had found the formula for a career she would enjoy.
by Mary FortuneHamilton County hotel room tax collections were down about 30% in 2020 from 2019 levels, abruptly ending a steady streak of growth for a tourism scene that was attracting about $3 million a day in visitor spending before the pandemic struck.
by Mary FortuneAfter 19 years of rolling burritos and dishing up nachos, the Mojo Burrito in St. Elmo will soon close its doors.
by Mary FortuneSkyler Anderson, a Brainerd High School senior, doesn't just like the new work-based learning program where she earns $15 an hour as an apprentice for a local media conversion company.
by Mary FortuneNearly a year after the COVID-19 pandemic sent them scrambling into survival mode, local business owners are still puzzling through how to make the most of financial stimulus programs designed to keep them going.
by Mary FortuneThe in-person taxpayers who tend to show up at the courthouse in late February may be stuck in a very long line this year if they don't make other plans, said Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander.
by Mary FortuneAn already taxing time will be even more complex this year, as the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic lands on nearly every bottom line one way or the other.
by Mary FortuneThe Chattanooga Design Studio is an urban design resource for the community.
by Mary FortuneFor more than 25 years, Debra Dubow has worked in global industries including pharmaceuticals, health care, financial services and the automotive industry to help leaders and their teams manage and thrive through change.
by Mary FortuneCory Barnes founded Chattanooga Small Business Networking in May 2018 hoping to build his own digital marketing business and help others make useful connections.
by Mary FortuneTennessee was set to receive more than $25 billion in federal coronavirus aid by the end of July 2020.
by Mary FortuneChester Sharp launched his creative agency in 2015 with a focus on in-person experiences and interactions — both online and in the real world — that would promote brands and bring people together. And that was going extremely well.
by Mary FortuneAs she struggles to keep her business afloat during a pandemic, Mojo Burrito owner Eve Williams said finding enough people to work is nearly as daunting a challenge as the dramatic dropoff in business.
by Mary FortuneApplications for the second wave of Paycheck Protection Program funding are open, this time with a focus on smaller businesses and the requirement that they show financial loss to qualify for aid.
by Mary FortuneDon Godsey, 76, is looking forward to getting his first COVID-19 vaccination shot next Tuesday in Chattanooga, but his wife, Joyce, doesn't yet qualify for the vaccination in Hamilton County, where it is reserved for those 75 and older.
by Mary Fortune and Dave FlessnerMore than a year after they pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and money laundering, the men who failed to bring a promised textile mill to Bledsoe County, Tennessee, have raised about $1 million in restitution and still await sentencing.
by Mary Fortune