Jepson re-elected as chairman of GPA board

Staff Report

Updated: Jun 25, 2013, 9:36 PM

Published: Jun 25, 2013, 9:37 PM

The Georgia Ports Authority board of directors has elected Robert S. Jepson Jr. of Savannah to serve a second term as chairman of the board. Jepson was first appointed to the board in 2008 and previously served as vice chairman. The new vice chairman will be James A. Walters, and Stephen S. Green will serve as secretary/treasurer.

“Bob Jepson’s steady leadership is exactly what is needed as we shepherd important rail, highway and maritime infrastructure projects to completion,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “During his first year as chairman, Bob made sure the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project remained a top priority, successfully navigating the final stages of federal approval for SHEP.”

“Over the past year, we have made significant strides in moving SHEP toward construction,” Jepson said. “Much of that success is due in large part to the support we have received from Governor Deal, Georgia’s Congressional delegation, and the talented staff at the Georgia Ports Authority.”

Jepson commended Gov. Deal for his strong support of the deepening, including $50 million in his 2014 budget for harbor expansion, for a total of $231 million in state funds already allocated to the project. Studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers show a 5.5-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio, meaning that for every dollar spent on the deepening, the nation will reap $5.50 in benefits.

In other business, the board heard a report from GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz, detailing growth in all major business segments for the month of May. Container trade, autos and machinery, bulk and breakbulk all saw year-over-year increases. In May, GPA moved 261,520 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), for a 1.9 percent increase over the same month last year.

“In three out of the last four months, our container volume has grown in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 TEUs each month,” Foltz said.

In roll-on/roll-off cargo, Georgia’s terminals achieved an 11 percent (or 5,918 unit) increase in May, moving 59,808 auto and machinery units. For the fiscal year to date, GPA terminals have moved 586,155 units.

“Colonel’s Island in Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah have racked up truly impressive, record numbers over the first 11 months of the fiscal year,” Foltz said. “We have moved more ro/ro cargo by the end of May than in any other fiscal year on record.”

Breakbulk cargo grew by 1.1 percent to nearly 240,000 tons, while bulk cargo increased by 20.2 percent over May 2012 to reach 191,988 tons last month.

“Months of positive numbers, despite a relatively weak global market, have established a strong growth trend for Georgia’s deepwater ports,” Foltz said.

Latest

Effingham ECCA Students Build Electric Car with Hyundai

From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

ECCA electric car — From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Mya Taylor

Updated: Sep 23, 2025, 1:44 PM

Published: Sep 23, 2025, 1:47 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — For five months, 10 engineering students at Effingham College and Career Academy spent afternoons with wrenches, wires and instruction manuals, turning boxes of parts into something extraordinary — a working electric car.

The build was part of a partnership between ECCA’s engineering lab and the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in nearby Ellabell. Funded through $150,000 in state grants and supported by Hyundai’s donation of tools, the project gave students hands-on experience in electric vehicle technology while tying classroom learning to one of the region’s most significant new industries.

Finding their place in the project

Junior Dexter Bohlman hadn’t expected to be part of the build. A scheduling error placed him in a higher-level engineering class, and before long he was wiring railings, connecting a key fob and shaping the steering panel.

Much of the work he did alone. The wiring — 250 to 450 terminals in all — was especially tricky.

“You have to figure out how to manage the wires to make it so that they’re less complicated,” Bohlman said. “On the top rail it’s a little bit of a mess, but down there we managed to get it a little more concise.”

For Bohlman, the project became more than an assignment. It gave him experience to add to his aerospace résumé and a sense of ownership in something bigger than himself.

Classmate Rowand Smart also joined by accident, after his schedule shifted. At first, he said, his enthusiasm for engineering was fading. The project changed that.

“It turned into something that I was actually interested in because it’s kind of a hobby working on my truck and seeing the less mechanical and more electrical part of it,” Smart said. “The wiring, the programming, all of that was really interesting.”

Smart’s father and grandfather were both mechanics, and he said their influence helped guide him through the toughest parts of the build.

Learning by doing

Students worked four days a week on the car, often troubleshooting unexpected problems.

“We had to figure out what we were going to do, find the parts, read the instructions before we put it together, and make sure we had the right equipment,” Smart said.

Together they learned not only how to wire circuits and measure voltage but also how to rely on one another.

Engineering Director Aaron Parker said the students’ persistence reflected what he calls the “four C’s” — creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

A proud moment

By May, the car was ready for its first test run. Getting it out of the lab was almost as hard as building it — four adults and 10 students had to tilt and lift the vehicle through a doorway.

Once outside, the students each took turns driving. For Bohlman and Smart, it was the highlight of months of effort.

“It was probably one of my proudest moments of students, especially upon completion,” Parker said.

The car later went on display at Stemposium, a community event where STEM students showcase their work. Families and staff stopped to admire what the team had built.

Looking forward

Bohlman said he dreams of an affordable electric rally car, while Smart imagines a Mustang with electric power. Both said the project changed how they see engineering.

HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs shared his gratitude for the partnership with ECCA.

“HMGMA is thrilled to sponsor the EV lab at Effingham College and Career Academy. ECCA is teaching young students about electric vehicles and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on experience, so when we learned about their need, we jumped at the opportunity to help. We are proud to be a long-term partner in educating future generations of EV and automobile enthusiasts. We hope one day some of them will become Meta Pros at HMGMA,” Stubbs said.

As for the car itself, Parker said it will soon get finishing touches — a light and dash cover — before being used to promote the program. Another frame, bright red and untouched, waits for the next group of students to take on.

“At the end of the day we want to set these kids up to be successful adults so that they can be independent when they get out in the real world,” Parker said.