New Georgia Ports Authority president talks goals, credits CEO Lynch’s people-first approach

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Kevin Price officially stepped into the role of president at the Georgia Ports Authority this month, positioning him to take over as CEO when Griff Lynch retires after 15 years in a leadership capacity with the authority.

Price said the next three months will focus on learning from Lynch and his established team for long-term success for the ports.

“You watch him and how he interacts with people and how he deals with people, and that’s made him very successful because he always puts people first,” he said.

Price brings more than 30 years of operations experience. He most recently served as president of Gateway Terminals in Savannah from 2021 until joining GPA. He previously served as COO of Virginia International Terminals and held multiple leadership roles in the port terminal industry, along with service on numerous boards and committees. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Executive Program at Darden School of Business.

“I have a strong background in operations, which I’m going to try to shift away from and understand the commercial side and look at the strategic side more as Griff did himself,” he said. “Because if you look at the GPA, they’re always looking for the future and always planning for the future, and I’d like to continue that.”

GPA leadership is also managing the impact of President Donald Trump’s announcement of another round of tariffs on goods from 80 countries.

“Tariffs can impact the cost of goods, but I think our customers have now built that into their supply chain. I don’t think that customers are re-working their supply chains because of the tariffs at this point in time,” Lynch said.

Board Chairman Alec Poitevint said, “This obviously is a wrinkle that’s inconsistent, and I think most customers have gotten where it’s part of their normal life and that they’re dealing with it in a professional manner.”

Despite international movements, or lack thereof when talking about the Strait of Hormuz, GPA finished June with 18% growth year over year, moving more than 483,000 TEUs.

“When you think about all the geopolitical things that are going on around the world, we’re actually satisfied with those numbers. It’s kind of what we forecast, but we’re off to a really strong start for July and August,” Lynch said.

Poitevent added that their $5 billion port master plan is working and ready for the future.

Another major completion for port operations and nearby neighborhoods was the opening of the Brampton Road Connector on July 15. The $130 million project created a four-lane highway linking Garden City Terminal’s Gate 3 directly to the interstate system.

“[Georgia DOT] has been very focused on these things that are not only important for the port but for the local neighborhoods and so forth, and it’s a dream,” said Poitevint. “We have talked about it during my time I’ve been at the port for two decades; we’ve talked about this, and now it’s a reality, and the good thing is that we like to talk about things at the port and then we like to get them done.”

Recent accomplishments according to the GPA’s press release:

• Cargo owners shipped 5.67 million TEUs across the Port of Savannah docks in FY2026
• • Just shy of the 5.7 million reached in the previous year.
• GPA moved 541,405 containers by rail at Mason Mega Rail in FY2026
• • Third straight year over half a million.
  • Rail cargo accounted for 17% of Savannah’s total container trade in FY2026, with the rest moving by truck.
• GPA recognized their long-term partnership with the Panama Canal Authority, signing a five-year extension to their Memorandum of Understanding.
• • Lynch and the board hosted a dinner in Savannah for the Administrator, Dr. Ricaurte Vasquez Morales.
• The Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia handled a record 49,319 intermodal containers in FY2026
• • An increase of 20% or more than 8,100 boxes compared to FY2025.
• GPA opened the $134 million Gainesville Inland Port in May, a rail-connected extension of the Port of Savannah serving the manufacturing and industrial hub of Northeast Georgia.
• Brunswick handles 763,000 units of autos, machinery