January 20, 2004

Georgetown's Butler Named SPA Chairman

Charleston, SC - At its regular monthly Board meeting today, the South Carolina State Ports Authority Board elected Harry J. Butler Jr. of Georgetown to be its next Chairman.

Butler follows Whitemarsh S. Smith III of Charleston, who recently completed his two-year tenure as Chairman. Smith remains on the Board and will serve as Board Secretary. Smith wished Butler well in his new position and thanked staff for their support.

Butler was appointed in April 2003 by Gov. Mark Sanford to fill the seat vacated by Georgetown attorney Jack M. Scoville. During his real estate development career, Butler was president or managing partner of 52 companies and partnerships, including Wild Dunes Real Estate and Wild Dunes Development Company. He attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Berry College in Rome, Georgia.

Other officers elected by the Board were William H. Stern, Vice Chairman (Stern & Stern Associates, Columbia); Carroll A. Campbell III, Treasurer (Southern Property Management, Columbia); and Whitemarsh S. Smith III, Secretary (Charleston Branch Pilots Association, Charleston).

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