Charlotte Observer business editor Patrick Scott sent out the following announcement last week:
“We are pleased to say that Ely Portillo is joining the Business team as its new retail/GA reporter.
“Ely had a strong first year at the Observer. From Lily, the five-legged puppy, to Kenny Chapman’s killing spree, Ely covered a wide range of human dramas. He quickly developed a flair for capturing compelling quotes that helped tell his stories. He also kept police honest by asking for explanations, truth squading answers and printing their refusals to provide information. Ely deftly handled a sensitive whistleblower whose information led to a series of stories about problems in the mental health system. Ely is also a fun colleague, so we’re glad he’s not going far.
“In his new job, Ely will be breaking news and holding power to account and telling stories as he tackles a beat spanning major corporations, legions of front-line workers and hundreds of entrepreneurs, all angling for a share of shoppers’ dollars. He’ll be making the retail blog a must-read online, as well as covering general business news and generating sports business enterprise.”
