CHARLESTON, SC—AUG. 28, 2025—SC Ports announced its 2025-2026 Port Ambassador class, welcoming 30 South Carolina professionals to join the program for its ninth year.
The group of community and business leaders will meet monthly September through May to get a firsthand look at how SC Ports’ operations spur economic growth in the entire state and support the broader Southeast supply chain. Participants will engage directly with Port leadership, tour inland and ocean terminals, and meet with port-dependent business owners who rely on SC Ports to connect them to markets around the world.
“The Port Ambassador program is a unique opportunity to connect leaders from across the state with the operations that keep South Carolina’s economy moving,” said Ashley Iseman, SC Ports’ director of executive office operations, who co-leads the program. “Our ambassadors will see how port infrastructure and innovation directly support business, jobs, and communities in every corner of the state.”
Other program highlights include attendance to the annual State of the Port address, and discussions on global trade, economic competitiveness, and infrastructure investment in South Carolina.
“SC Ports plays a critical role in ensuring South Carolina remains globally competitive,” said Michael Jackson, program co-lead and SC Ports’ director of federal and state government strategy. “The Port Ambassador Program builds a network of informed leaders who can share the Port’s story, highlight its economic impact, and champion the importance of investing in port infrastructure to benefit future generations of South Carolinians.”
This year’s program kicks off in September with a tour of the Wando Welch Terminal and a deep dive into the inner workings of the Port of Charleston.
2025-2026 Ambassadors:
- Brenton Brown, South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement
- David Chinnis, Dorchester County Council
- Rob Godfrey, Godfrey Communications and Public Affairs
- John Gregory, NAI Columbia
- Matthew Hamrick, Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC
- Joseph Maybank Howell, Sopris Capital Private Equity
- Toni Rice Huston, Macatuck
- Thomas J. Johnson, Conway Ford, Inc.
- Michael Kearney, Jr., Charleston Promise Neighborhood
- Payton Lang, City of Columbia
- Dylon Ligon, South Carolina Department of Commerce
- William McCall, Santee Cooper
- Peden Brown McLeod, Jr., Bank of the Lowcountry
- Carter McMillan, Charleston County Government
- Brooks A. Melton, Beacon Community Bank
- Campbell Mims, Tompkins Thompson & Brown Government Affairs
- Christopher Austin Murphy, Samet Corporation
- Jennifer Necker, South Carolina Department of Transportation
- AJ Newton, South Carolina Technical College System
- Trey Pennington, CBRE, Inc.
- Sigrid Phinney, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
- Derrek Pugh, Richland County Council and United Cerebral Palsy of South Carolina
- Edward Rawl, The Boeing Company
- Mary Sale, Dominion Energy South Carolina
- Richard Sturm, Ameris Bank
- Chase Talbert, Bank of the Lowcountry
- Erika D. Williams, The LINK Economic Development Alliance
- John O. Williams II, Berkeley County Government
- Erica Wright, Municipal Association of South Carolina
- Saluda Zemp, South Carolina Governor's Office
About South Carolina Ports
South Carolina Ports owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. As the 8th largest U.S. container port, SC Ports connects port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond to global markets. SC Ports proactively invests in infrastructure ahead of demand to provide reliable service, efficient operations, cargo capacity, an expansive rail network and the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet. SC Ports is a vital economic engine for South Carolina, with port operations supporting 1 in 9 jobs statewide. Learn more: scspa.com.