Steve Fortenberry, who left the business world in 1999 to begin a finance academy at Dunwoody High School that has changed thousands of lives, is retiring in December.
“I’m turning 60 and it just seemed like it was time,” Fortenberry told Rough Draft. “It seems like I’ve lived my whole life at Dunwoody – I graduated from here, I taught here, and my kids went here.”
Dunwoody’s Finance Academy began in 1999 with just 15 students, with the goal of evolving into a mini-MBA program that taught real-life lessons in entrepreneurship, marketing, international business, finance, and AP macroeconomics.
Fortenberry estimates that 2,000 students have gone through the two-year program.
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The highlight of the program is the academy’s annual trip to New York City, where students meet with executives from Goldman Sachs, the National Football League, Amazon, and Google. The group also visits the New York Stock Exchange, goes to Broadway plays, and museums – while navigating the city’s subway system.
The trip’s highlight for him, Fortenberry said, is a group dinner in Little Italy, which “is very much a bonding experience.”
Jennifer Boettcher, who is currently on the academy’s trip with her son, told Rough Draft on Nov. 18 that she is witnessing Fortenberry “in his element.”
“Watching him guide more than 130 students and dozens of parents through the city – on subways, in boardrooms, and everywhere in between — is nothing short of remarkable. He makes it all look effortless,” Boettcher said.
She said Fortenberry “challenges his students in the best possible ways, preparing them for the real world by encouraging confident public speaking, sound financial habits, and a willingness to push beyond their comfort zones.”
DHS Principal Tom Bass said Fortenberry found his calling – to be “a beacon of positivity and love for each student and adult with whom he comes in contact. He has been a determining factor in what makes Dunwoody so special and how students grasp the essence of Wildcat Pride.”
Former students and parents chimed in with high praises for Fortenberry and the impact he has had on their lives.
Emily Craddock Thomas, an academy student who graduated in 2007, said his passion for teaching was evident at all times.
“He cared about us as people, not just as students, and it showed in everything he did,” Thomas said. “Our Academy of Finance trip to NYC is one of my favorite memories because he made it an experience that opened our eyes to future possibilities.”
Audra Anders, whose two sons went through the academy, said she recently found a handwritten note from Fortenberry to her son when he was in his first year of college.
“Boys don’t save things – mine saved this letter because it obviously meant so much,” she said. “The love and energy he poured into all his students is so clear.”
Anders has also participated in the DHS Finance Academy as a coach and judge.
“Being a part of the energy in Steve’s classroom has been a joy and a gift,” she said. “Learning of his retirement brought a pang of sadness for the students who won’t experience his teaching at Dunwoody High School.”
Fortenberry’s interest in the students he taught goes far past their high school years, said parent Cindy Gebhardt, whose son, Steve, and daughter, Katherine, were finance academy program students.
When her son, known by many as Stevie D., was hospitalized in 2022 after ingesting a fatal dose of Xanax laced with Fentanyl, Fortenberry was the first person to show up at the facility to sit vigil.
“To this day, he calls/texts Kat to see how she is doing, and takes her to lunch,” Gebhardt said. “He cares so deeply for his students, and I know for a fact, he has helped change the course of so many Dunwoody kids.”
Andrew Keith, who graduated in 2014, said Fortenberry has touched the lives of generations of students, “giving them a lasting foundation in personal financial literacy and the confidence to succeed in college and beyond.”
“If you’ve ever sat in one of Steve’s finance classes, you’d know there’s one thing he won’t let you forget,” Keith said. “While it’s easy to make a buck, it’s a lot tougher to make a difference. “
Former student Ryan Gaines, class of 2013, said Fortenberry’s “investment in the people at DHS with his contagious spirit has inspired generations of students to lead impactful lives in their communities.”
Johnathan Langley, another 2014 graduate, said while his friendship with Fortenberry started in the classroom, it has developed into a lifelong one long after he left DHS.
“He has always supported and pushed me to run towards God, and chase my calling, speaking words of truth and encouragement to me,” Langley said. “From letters of recommendation, career guidance, and simply catching up over coffee, Steve has and always will be on my team. All I can say is thank you for loving me so well.”
Fortenberry said he is proud of his students, not just for their business achievements beyond the classroom, but for the quality human beings they have become.
“Yes, there have been a lot of entrepreneurs and business leaders who have come out of the class, but also a lot of great moms and dads,” he said. “I’m also proud that we have a lot of graduates who’ve come back to teach at Dunwoody.”
In fact, two DHS graduates are set to take over the program – D.R. Keen and Ryan Gentry.
“It’s their time now,” Fortenberry said. “I will miss the relationships I’ve developed with students and their families, and it’s tough leaving Bass and the teachers, but I’m still going to be around and still involved in ‘Bring it Home,’ [a fundraiser to expand the Dunwoody High School stadium].”
Fortenberry said he’s not sure of his next professional steps, but knows that “there’s going to be a time my wife is going to be sick of seeing me.”
“I’ll need to do something, but not sure of what that will be,” he said.
Bass said that although life will continue without his “partner in crime,” there will always be a little something missing.
“He is so beloved and will be missed tremendously.”