South Carolina Ports recently celebrated 30 business and community leaders who completed the 2025-2026 Port Ambassador program.
The group, representing organizations throughout South Carolina, spent the past year getting a firsthand look at SC Ports' daily operations, meeting with port-dependent businesses and seeing how port activity drives economic growth in the state.
“Serving as an Ambassador for SC Ports has been such a meaningful experience,” Payton Lang with the City of Columbia said. “It showed me that the port is not just a place, it is a driving force across our state. From transportation to economic growth and innovation, its impact reaches every corner of South Carolina and truly connects our communities.”
The class engaged with teams across the organization through leadership discussions, Port Police updates, terminal tours and firsthand experiences with ship-to-shore crane operations at Wando Welch Terminal. Participants also attended the State of the Port and visited Inland Ports Greer and Dillon.
Port-dependent businesses, including BMW Manufacturing, C&M Farms and Frontier Logistics, offered the group behind-the-scenes insights into the supply chain.
“Serving as a Port Ambassador has been an invaluable experience, providing a deep, behind-the-scenes look at the complex operations driving our deepwater and inland ports,” Matthew Hamrick with Mercedes-Benz Vans said. “I’ve gained a profound appreciation for how SC Ports and its partners serve as a primary catalyst for economic growth across South Carolina.”
Launched in 2016, the SC Ports Port Ambassador Program was created to increase public awareness and understanding of SC Ports’ initiatives and impact in the state’s supply chain. More than 250 participants have completed the program.
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 “KJ” 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 Allen University
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, The White House, formerly with the South Carolina Governor's Office
