Ocean Shipping Sector Observations with South Carolina Ports Authority COO Barbara Melvin

In this podcast, SCPA's Melvin addressed various topics, including: the current state of import volumes and what is driving them; SCPA's port infrastructure efforts and objectives; and the impact of the pandemic on container shipping, among others. 

Barbara Melvin oversees the SCPA's terminal operations, carrier sales, information technology and support services, intermodal, inland ports, crane and equipment maintenance, engineering, environmental, Port Police, procurement, the logistics solution center, and cruise operations.  Ms. Melvin also serves as the SCPA’s lead staff person on the Charleston Harbor Post 45 Project.

On July 1, 2022, Ms. Melvin will become president and CEO of South Carolina Ports. Melvin will be the sixth leader in the history of the port and the first woman to lead a top 10 U.S. operating container port.

During her 20-plus years with SCPA, Ms. Melvin has held several senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President, Operations and Terminals, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, and Vice President, Government Relations. Before joining the Port in 1998, she served as Director of Government Relations for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and as a policy analyst for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia Southern University with a minor in international relations and a Masters in Business Administration in Global Supply Chain from the University of Tennessee Haslam School of Business.