Leadership Team

Phillip Padgett was named interim CEO in August 2025, after serving as CFO & VP, Administration.

As Chief Financial Officer & VP, Administration, Mr. Padgett was responsible for the financial, risk management, and real estate activities of SC Ports. Mr. Padgett joined SC Ports in June 2016 as Controller.

Mr. Padgett is a Certified Public Accountant with ten years of experience auditing, managing finance and accounting operations, and developing short and long-term financial plans, budgets, and forecasts. He also has experience in the daily operations of insurance, investment, and real estate development.

Mr. Padgett began his career in public accounting in Charleston with Johnson Lambert, a niche focused CPA firm specializing in insurance. He spent over five years in the audit and assurance practice serving commercial and captive insurance companies. Prior to joining the Authority, Phil served as Controller for Kane (USA), Inc., an insurance management company that was purchased by a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. around the time of his departure.

He is a member of the South Carolina Association of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from Francis Marion University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and has a Master of Science in Accountancy from the College of Charleston.

Byron Miller leads all sales, marketing and business development efforts at SC Ports, growing and diversifying South Carolina’s cargo base.

Byron joined SC Ports in 1993 and worked in many leadership positions across the organization.  Since he joined the commercial group in 2012, the Port of Charleston earned the title of the nation’s fastest growing top 10 seaport.

Byron held several roles including director of sales where he worked collaboratively with many of SC Ports’ largest customers in the automotive, manufacturing and distribution sectors and helped to develop solutions for their end-to-end supply chain objectives.

A South Carolina native, Byron has been active with various professional associations and community organizations and was previously named the Charleston region’s “Transportation Leader of the Year” and the Propeller Club Member of the Year.

He earned bachelor’s degrees in business and French from The College of Charleston, with a concentration in global logistics.

As Vice President of Human Resources, Mrs. Battle is responsible for talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, labor, employee relations, and leadership training and development programs. She leads a team of talented HR staff who help to support the Port’s strategic priorities through caring for our team and the community we work with.

Sadie joined SC Ports in 2020, quickly proving herself as a natural leader. With over 9 years of various leadership experience, Sadie has continued to use lessons learned, good and bad, to advance her skillset and provide the best service possible to Port customers, both internal and external.

Sadie is a Spring 2022 graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Discovery program and is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) – both at the national level and our local chapter, Palmetto SHRM. In 2019, she earned the designation of SHRM-Certified Professional.

Mrs. Battle received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Charleston Southern University and a Master of Human Resources Management from Webster University.

As Vice President, Terminal Operations, Mr. Britt is responsible for the efficient operation and management of all SC Ports container terminals, as well as ro-ro, breakbulk, and cruise facilities.

Mr. Britt joined SC Ports in 2011 as an Operations Analyst and has held various positions in port operations, including General Manager of Berthing, Director of Container Operations, and Senior Director of Terminal Operations.

Prior to joining SC Ports, Mr. Britt worked in supervisory and management positions with APM Terminals and Maersk Line.

Mr. Britt earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Wofford College.

In his current role as Vice President, Equipment Maintenance, Mr. Moore is responsible for the maintenance and repair activities of SC Ports’ equipment.

Mr. Moore joined SC Ports in 1995 as a heavy lift mechanic. In his 20+ years with SC Ports, Mr. Moore has served in several supervisory and management roles, including Manager of Material Handling Maintenance, and most recently, Director or Equipment Maintenance.

Prior to joining the Authority, Mr. Moore spent fifteen years in the skilled trades with extensive knowledge and training in diesel power systems.

Chief Simon joined SC Ports in September 2002 as a patrol officer and was promoted to Chief of Police in June 2017.

In this role, Chief Simon manages the SC Ports police department, which is comprised of civilian security officers, a dispatch center, and certified police officers.

Chief Simon began his law enforcement career with the Charleston City Police department as a dispatcher in 1994 prior to graduating from the Criminal Justice Academy in November 1994. During his career at the Charleston City Police department, he worked several different teams including the Detective division. He continued his career with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office where he worked as a night shift supervisor for the County. Chief Simon has received commendations for Alertness, Adaptability, Officer of the Month, and Officer of the Year.

Chief Simon attended Trident Technical College where he graduated out of the Aircraft Maintenance Technology and Automotive Technology programs.

As Vice President, Engineering and Facilities, Mr. Weber manages the design and construction of SC Ports’ projects and facilities around the state.

Throughout his involvement with SC Ports as both a consultant and employee, he successfully managed many facets of the design and construction of Leatherman Terminal from 2007 through the terminal’s opening in 2021. Before relocating to Charleston in 2007, Mr. Weber worked in Florida as both a contractor and consultant on heavy civil and marine construction projects including interstate construction, local highways, and significant bridges around the state.

Mr. Weber grew up in Ridgeland, SC and earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in SC, FL, and NC.

As Vice President of Federal and State Government Strategy, Mr. Zeigler leads SC Ports’ efforts with the United States Congress, federal government agencies, and the South Carolina General Assembly.

Mr. Zeigler joined SC Ports in 2014 as Manager of Government Relations and has worked on strategic infrastructure projects, including securing state funding for the Leatherman Rail Facility, federal funding for the Post-45 Charleston Harbor Deepening Project, and U.S. Department of Transportation grant funding.

Prior to joining SC Ports, Mr. Zeigler worked for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham as Campaign Spokesman and Digital Director for Graham’s 2014 re-election campaign. He also spent three years in Graham’s Washington D.C. office, working as Deputy Communications Director and Press Assistant.

A native of Greenville, South Carolina, he attended Furman University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.