A total of 25 lucky participants were confirmed today for the 2018-2019 South Carolina Ports Authority Port Ambassadors class.

“The Port Ambassador Program offers a diverse group of South Carolina leaders an opportunity to meet and hear from experts in maritime-related industries and port-dependent businesses through a series of full and half-day educational sessions and tours,” said Jordi Yarborough, SCPA Senior Vice President of External Affairs. “The program has seen great success in educating community leaders from across the state, and the small class size is ideal for in-depth discussions that lead to a better understanding of the Port’s mission.”

The program educates on efforts aimed towards economic development, Port operations, transportation and maritime industry key insights. The history of the program dates back to  2016 in an effort to increase public awareness and polish the understanding behind strategic planning primarily pertaining to key state initiatives.

The released list includes a wide range of individuals with various careers and industry focus, including education, local chambers, banking and finance, and insurance.

 Port Ambassador Class of 2019

-Ann Angermeier, Upstate Workforce Board, Spartanburg, SC

-John Brand III, Stifel Financial Corp., Florence, SC

-Van Cato, Office of Senator Lindsey Graham, Greenville, SC

-Andrew Cook, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Hilton Head Island, SC

-Christine Crawford, D&G Management, North Augusta, SC

-Johnny Cribb, City of Hanahan, Hanahan, SC

-Suzanne Dickerson, SC Council on Competitiveness, Columbia, SC

-Alexander Fournil, Vista Insurance Group, Columbia, SC

-Jamey Goldin, Turner Padget Graham & Laney, P.A., Columbia, SC

-Sara Hazzard, SC Manufacturers Alliance, Columbia, SC

-Angie Leidinger, Clemson University, Columbia, SC

-Thomas Lorenzo, Domtar, Fort Mill, SC

-Bill McCarthy, Charleston Gate Company, Charleston, SC

-Sunny Philips, SC Chamber of Commerce, Columbia, SC

-Tony Pope, State Farm Insurance, Summerville, SC

-Buddy Pough, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC

-Brian Rauschenbach, Sumter Economic Development and TheLINK Alliance, Sumter, SC

-Anne Smith Reid, Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Charleston, Charleston, SC

-Tiffany Santagati, Southern First Bank, Greenville, SC

-Mark Schmidt, Daimler AG, Fort Mill, SC

-Steve Sydow, Kapstone Kraft Paper Corp, Fort Mill, SC

-Tom Trouche, ServisFirst Bank, Charleston, SC

-Marlon Walters, PhD, Bank of America, Elgin, SC

-Tom Winslow, Goldfinch Winslow Attorneys at Law, Murrells Inlet, SC

-Jason Zacher, Upstate Chamber Coalition, Greenville, SC

Source: South Carolina Ports