Member Spotlight
May 17, 2012 in Announcement
Steven M. Fortunato
Steven M. Fortunato is the Founder and CEO of Fortch Unlimited, Inc., a sports and entertainment services company, specializing in athlete and celebrity management; television and film production development and production, corporate consulting, marketing and strategic planning; and media training and image consulting. From 2004-2007, Steve was Vice President of Impact Sports Marketing, representing the baseball clients of agent Scott Boras, among the most prestigious group of Major League Baseball players in the world. From 1998-2004, Steve was the Senior Managing Producer of Major League Baseball Productions, the television and entertainment division of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. There, he set new standards for access to players on and off the field, and became the first producer to place a microphone on a player in a regular season game, wiring Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. in 2001. This historic benchmark opened the door for the broadcast networks to wire players, which has become routine practice today.
Steve is a multi-Emmy Award winning producer, whose credits include the legendary series This Week in Baseball, a variety of network specials for ESPN, Fox, the Learning Channel, MTV, and others; and numerous commercials, advertising campaigns, and home video releases, including producing and directing the filming of the Official World Series Home Videos from 1999-2003.
Steve joined MLB Productions in 1998 after serving nine years as an officer in the United States Air Force, as a producer-director of documentaries, high-end informational and training programs, and real world contingency operations. While serving as Director of Operations at the Air Force Television Center in the Pentagon from 1993 – 1997, Steve supervised and coordinated daily operations for more than 150 remote and studio productions annually, and supported the most vital programs and events in the Air Force, Department of Defense and the White House. He was the director of choice for productions directly supporting the President and Vice President of theUnited States, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While on active duty, his productions and accomplishments earned him significant industry awards, and he was selected the Communications Officer of the Year an unprecedented three consecutive years (1994 -1996) while at the Pentagon. Steve is a decorated combat veteran who commanded joint service Combat Camera teams in the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and during the heaviest combat operations in Somalia.
