About This Event
2026 State of the Port Address, hosted by the Georgia Ports Authority and the Propeller Club of the United States – Port of Savannah.
The 2026 State of the Port Address, hosted by the Georgia Ports and the Propeller Club of the United States—Port of Savannah, will be held at the Savannah Convention Center. GPA President Kevin Price and CEO Griff Lynch will present the latest developments at the GPA during a networking lunch program.
State of the Port tickets include a coffee/networking reception. Tickets are required for entrance.
SPEAKERS:
ALEC L. POITEVIT, II: Chairman | Georgia Ports Authority
Board Chairman Alec Poitevint is a past chairman of the Georgia Ports Authority, having previously served the Authority from 2007-2016. Poitevint is the chairman and president of Southeastern Minerals, Inc. and its affiliated companies headquartered in Bainbridge.
He is also a former president, vice-chairman and director of First Port City Bank of Bainbridge. He is past chairman of the American Feed Industry Association and National Feed Ingredients Association. He serves as a director of the Georgia Agribusiness Council and was Federal Commissioner of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Water Compact.
Poitevint was a former mission member of the U.S. Agricultural Trade and Development Mission to Europe in 1990 and U.S. Delegate to the World Food Summit in 2002.
GRIFF LYNCH: CEO | Georgia Ports Authority
Griff Lynch serves as CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, an 1,800-person strong state authority which owns and operates strategic port terminals serving American commerce.
In this role, Lynch oversees the nation’s third-busiest gateway for containerized trade in Savannah, and the number-one-busiest auto port complex in the nation, in Brunswick. Together, these form one of the largest economic engines in the Southeastern United States.
Before being named President and CEO in 2016, Lynch served as the GPA’s Chief Operating Officer for five years. A proven leader in the maritime industry, he brings more than 35 years of operational and commercial experience to the Georgia Ports Authority team.
KEVIN PRICE: President | Georgia Ports Authority
Kevin Price was appointed President of the Georgia Ports Authority on July 1, 2026, reporting to CEO Griff Lynch.
GPA’s transition plan calls for Price to take on the President and CEO role on August 1, 2027, when Lynch will retire after a 38-year maritime career, including fifteen years with Georgia Ports Authority.
Price brings more than 30 years’ operations experience to Georgia Ports.
He served as President of Gateway Terminals in Savannah from 2021 until joining GPA, with prior experience as Chief Operating Officer of Virginia International Terminals, along with multiple leadership roles in the port terminal industry.
He has served on numerous boards and committees during his career and is a 2026 graduate of The Executive Program at Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.
Georgia Ports is the nation’s third-busiest gateway for containerized trade in Savannah, and the number-one-busiest auto port complex in the nation, in Brunswick. Together, these form one of the largest economic engines in the Southeastern United States.
DAVID MIHUTA, President | International Propeller Club, Port of Savannah
David Mihuta is the current President of the International Propeller Club, Port of Savannah. Mihuta has more than three decades of industry experience and is a Sales Representative with Freightliner of Savannah, where he also serves as Continuous Improvement Coordinator for the local ownership group.
A founding member and current President of the Maritime Logistics Education Taskforce (MLET), David is passionate about developing the next generation of logistics and maritime professionals.
Known throughout the logistics industry as “Fish,” David is an active leader in transportation and workforce development, serving on the Georgia Department of Education’s Trade Five Advisory Council Board, and multiple advisory boards at Savannah Technical College. He is also an honorary member of the International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, David and his wife, Teresa, have called Savannah home for nearly 20 years.