William D. McKnight
This week the Board of Directors of the Georgia Ports Authority elected Augusta businessman William D. McKnight as its new chairman.
McKnight has served as vice chairman since 2018 and will assume his new responsibilities July 1. The Augusta native and Georgia Tech grad is president McKnight Construction Company, and serves on some half dozen local community and business boards.
Gov. Brian Kemp recognized McKnight as a business leader who “has the experience necessary to keep the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) at the forefront, delivering opportunity for growth to large and small businesses across the state.”
“I’m excited to help lead the GPA at a time when Gov. Kemp has made the success of small business a major priority,” McKnight said. “Our ports’ role in helping Georgia companies connect with buyers across the globe can mean a world of difference to small operations hoping to expand.”
Along with McKnight, the board elected Patrick “Kelly” Farr Jr. as vice chairman, while Joel Wooten will remain in his role as secretary-treasurer.
McKnight follows outgoing Chairman Jimmy Allgood, and recognized Allgood for his leadership over the past three years, as annual container volumes increased 25 percent.
“During Jimmy Allgood’s tenure, we’ve seen the completion of the outer harbor deepening, we’ve purchased 10 ship-to-shore cranes, kicked off construction of the largest on-terminal rail facility in the country, and expanded our auto capacity,” McKnight said. “Now, we have to continue that momentum to bring the efficiencies of Georgia’s Deepwater terminals to even more customers.”
“I am proud to say that the team here at your ports are the best trained, most experienced and dedicated professionals you will find anywhere in the world, and I don’t say that lightly,” said Allgood.
The Ports Authority also announced this week that the Port of Savannah had its busiest April ever this year, pushing its fiscal year-to-date totals to 3.7 million TEUs, an increase of 8.7 percent (300,815 TEUs) compared to the same period in FY2018.
Said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch on the port’s big month – “We’re nearly a full month ahead of last year’s volume at this point. GPA’s 1,300 employees, the International Longshoremen’s Association, stevedores, motor carriers and professionals throughout the supply chain have pulled together to not only grow our business, but to handle it with great efficiency and care.”
