Years ago, when I had worked at the Times Free Press only a few weeks, I was on the night news desk and had a question about a story written by Dave Flessner. Dave wasn't in the newsroom and wasn't answering his phone (this was long enough ago that it was before the era of texting).
"Don't worry," said a fellow editor, "no matter what day of the week or what time of the day, Dave will be back in 15 minutes."
This was not precisely true, but my colleague's point was accurate: Dave spent a lot of time in the newsroom. A lot.
For decades, his nickname was "Super Dave" because he could cover any beat, tackle any story, and he seemed to know everyone in Chattanooga. Lately, he's earned the nickname "Dave GPT" because of the vast store of knowledge and trivia — mostly Chattanooga-centric — amassed in his brain.
You can ask Dave who ran for city mayor in 1983, and he'll not only tell you but will proceed to list his accomplishments in office plus the things that mayor didn't get done.
Dave Flessner, business editor of the Times Free Press, has been a fixture of the Chattanooga Times and then the Times Free Press newsrooms for almost 43 years. He retires on Monday.
Local journalists see a lot; multiply that by 43 years (and maybe throw in an extra decade given Dave's work ethic) and you're talking about a truly epic career telling the stories of our community.
Dave covered a wide range of stories — from fun stuff like locally made artisanal tequila to very serious stories such as the billion gallons of coal ash that caused an environmental disaster when it spilled in Kingston, Tennessee.
He's covered the openings, closings, and evolutions of countless local businesses and industries. He's recorded the ups and downs of the local real estate market, the labor market, energy prices. He's reported on the triumphs and travails of small mom-and-pop retailers and giant factories.
He's written hundreds of stories about the Tennessee Valley Authority alone.
He's been a reporter, a city editor, and a projects writer. He started Edge magazine more than 10 years ago, and for many years served as its editor without giving up his day job as business editor of the six-days-a-week business section in the TFP.
Dave embodies the best baby boomer qualities — he's hard-working, he's dependable and resourceful, he's generous with his knowledge, and he takes real delight in doing work he finds meaningful.
And despite his vast knowledge of the Chattanooga area and his talents as a journalist, Dave is humble. When I told Dave I was writing a column about his departure, he said, "Please don't overdo it."
There's no danger of that. I could never do Dave's career justice in the space this column occupies.
Dave was raised in Michigan and educated at two rivals — he got his undergraduate degree in journalism at the University of Michigan and then studied economics at Michigan State, but ultimately decided he'd rather be a writer covering the stories of the economy than working as an economist.
Dave and his wife, Vicky, arrived in the city in 1980 as newlyweds after he accepted a job as a business writer at the Chattanooga Times.
"I thought I'd stay a couple of years, but I fell in love with Chattanooga. It's a compelling news town," he said.
Dave notes that he got to witness Chattanooga's turnaround story up close and document it as it unfolded.
In the 1980s, Chattanooga was floundering, he points out. "I was writing all the time about the closing of businesses. It was depressing. There were a lot of stories and a lot of human drama."
Now the city is a vibrant, desirable place to be — some might even call it hip — and regularly racks up accolades in national publications. Dave covered the city when it became the only city in the Western hemisphere to have gigabit internet service. Lately, he's written about the city's embrace of quantum computing.
Dave has relished chronicling this change.
At nearly any point in his career, Dave could certainly have moved on to a bigger newspaper in a bigger city if he wished. Chattanooga is fortunate that he grew to love the city, made it his home and raised his three kids here.
It's tough to imagine the Times Free Press newsroom without Dave. For as long as any of us can remember, if he wasn't here, he'd be back in 15 minutes. But we also know he'll enjoy the well-earned time with his wife, kids and eight grandkids.
Thanks, Super Dave, for devoting your career to telling the stories of our community. Thanks for your steadfastness and your humor, your generosity and your endless energy. And hey, if you ever feel like stopping by to visit, we'll be expecting you. Old habits are hard to break.
Alison Gerber is the editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Reach her at agerber@timesfreepress.com or (423) 316-2030.