Leadership Team

Micah Mallace became President and CEO of SC Ports in October 2025. He leads the 700-plus person organization with a focus on safety, growing above market, operating efficiently and cost effectively, and delivering revenue-generating infrastructure projects. Under Mallace’s leadership, the team is committed to a Safety First Mindset, delivering best-in-class customer service and enhancing competitiveness to grow as a top 10 U.S. container port.

Mallace started with SC Ports in 2011 and held a range of commercial and economic development roles, including serving as Chief Commercial Officer. During his tenure, SC Ports became the fastest-growing container port in the United States. Mallace played a pivotal role in attracting and executing major projects in South Carolina, including Samsung’s plant in Newberry, Gallo Winery’s facility in Fort Lawn and Walmart’s Ridgeville distribution center.

Mallace returns to SC Ports as the seventh leader in the history of the organization. He most recently served as President of Harbor Logistics, a Southeast-based third-party logistics company specializing in port drayage, warehousing and transload operations. Under his leadership, Harbor navigated the post-pandemic freight recession through operational turnaround, geographic expansion and strategic acquisitions — transforming the company into a scalable logistics platform.

Earlier in his career, he gained commercial real estate experience with Riverstone Residential and resort management with Vail Resorts before focusing on logistics and supply chain. He holds both an undergraduate degree and an MBA in Finance from the College of Charleston, where he continues to give back through his service on the School of Business Board of Governors.

Outside of work, Mallace is grateful for his wife, Katie, and their three children – a son and twin daughters – who keep life both full and lively.

Patrick McCrory will join SC Ports as Chief Operating Officer, effective Oct. 5, leading a 500-person operations team responsible for container terminals, ro-ro and breakbulk operations, intermodal services and two rail-served inland ports.

McCrory brings decades of experience in safety, transportation, logistics, intermodal and port terminal operations, and freight rail to SC Ports. Ahead of joining the port in October, McCrory will continue serving as president and CEO of Palmetto Railways, leading the Class III short line railroad to efficiently move freight as part of the Southeastern rail network, in support of numerous South Carolina companies.

He spent over a decade in leadership roles at Palmetto Railways, including vice president, chief commercial officer and chief operations officer, overseeing a $450 million capital development portfolio. Previously, he held senior positions with CSX Intermodal Terminals, leading operations across Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina, and began his career with APM Terminals as a stevedore at Wando Welch Terminal.

McCrory holds a bachelor’s in science in logistics and intermodal transportation from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a master’s of science in transportation management from the University of Denver. He is a nine-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve, having served as a Strategic Sealift Officer.

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

Padgett is a Certified Public Accountant with 20-plus 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.

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 SC Ports, Padgett 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’s of business administration in finance and has a master’s of science in accountancy from the College of Charleston.

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

Miller joined SC Ports in 1993 and has worked in leadership positions across the organization.  Since joining the commercial group in 2012, he has held several roles, including director of sales, where he worked collaboratively with many of SC Ports’ strategic customers and supported solutions for their end-to-end supply chain objectives. As Chief Commercial Officer, Miller oversees all shipper and ocean carrier customers relationships, ensuring long-term growth and success in the Charleston market.

A South Carolina native, Miller has actively served on various professional and community organizations. He was previously named the Charleston region’s “Transportation Leader of the Year” and the Propeller Club Member of the Year.  He is also the 2025 recipient of the South Carolina International Trade Conference’s Plunkett-Stoioff Award.

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

Brad Brown joined SC Ports in 2026 as Chief Transformation Officer. He is a seasoned digital transformation executive with more than 25 years of experience leading enterprise-wide modernization initiatives across operations-intensive industries, including manufacturing, automotive, logistics, consumer products, oil and gas, and government.

Brown has driven complex transformation programs focused on modernizing mission-critical operational systems, cloud migration, enterprise applications, data analytics and AI-enabled business capabilities — combining deep industry expertise with technical leadership to align technology strategy with operational and financial goals.

As a former Vice President for two multinational organizations, Brown has led large-scale enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, cloud and enterprise modernization programs for Fortune Global 500 companies, including complex 24/7 operational environments requiring lean execution and rigorous governance. He has extensive experience building and leading PMOs, and has architected multiple post-merger technology integrations for companies ranging from $300 million to over $1 billion in revenue.

As Vice President of Terminal Operations, Joel Britt is responsible for the efficient operation and management of all SC Ports container terminals, as well as ro-ro and breakbulk operations. He oversees more than 500 teammates, leading the Operations, Heavy Lift Maintenance, Information Technology and Customer Solutions departments.

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, Britt worked in supervisory and management positions with APM Terminals and Maersk Line.

In 2025, Britt was recognized as the Propeller Club of Charleston’s Maritime Person of the Year, and was also named to SCBIZ NEWS’ South Carolina 500 list, which recognizes the most influential people in South Carolina.

Britt earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from Wofford College.

As Vice President of Strategy and Analytics, Mary Beth Richardson serves as an enterprise integrator across finance, operations, engineering, technology and commercial strategy, translating long-range strategy into executable plans that improve terminal throughput, profitability and capital efficiency.

Richardson leads terminal planning, enterprise volume forecasting and development of SC Ports’ capital plan. Her team directs pricing and yield strategy, investment modeling and contract analysis for new business. Richardson also leads pursuit of federal and state grant funding and supports long-term financing strategies.

Prior to this role, Richardson spent the majority of her 20-year career with SC Ports in financial planning and analysis, leading capital planning, budgeting, and debt strategy. She began her finance career as a government consultant with Northrop Grumman, supporting the Naval Sea Systems Command.

Richardson holds a Master of Business Administration from The Citadel and a bachelor’s of science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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

Battle joined SC Ports in 2020, quickly proving herself as a natural leader. With over nine years of various leadership experience, Battle has continued to use lessons learned to advance her skillset and provide the best service possible to port teammates and customers.

Battle 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.

Battle received a bachelor of arts in communications from Charleston Southern University and master’s of human resources management from Webster University.

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

Weber oversees all infrastructure projects at the port – including a recent expansion of Inland Port Greer and ongoing expansions of container terminals – which are critical to ensuring SC Ports can continue to efficiently handle the growth occurring in the Southeast market.

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, 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.

Weber grew up in Ridgeland, SC and earned a bachelor’s in science in civil engineering from Clemson University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

Sara Parrish serves as Counsel in Burr & Forman’s Administrative, Government and Regulatory practice group, where her work centers on maritime, transportation and logistics, government relations and real estate matters. She serves as outside General Counsel for South Carolina Ports, advising on regulatory and legal matters critical to the state’s ports, maritime and logistics sectors.

Before joining Burr & Forman, Parrish served as Counsel to the Clerk in the South Carolina Senate, where she provided legal counsel and drafted legislation, bills and amendments. She also held roles within the Senate as an Oversight Analyst in the Office of Senate Oversight and as a Staff Attorney on the Judiciary Committee, giving her firsthand experience with the legislative and regulatory process in South Carolina.

Parrish earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and her bachelor of arts from the University of South Carolina.