Georgia Ports Authority’s new Executive Director, Curtis J. Foltz, is impeccably dressed and energetic for a Monday morning interview after a few days spent traveling. Seated in his office, he is a commanding figure set in the foreground of choreographed-like activity that appears through the large window behind him.

The scene is one that defies the economic times. As Foltz settles into his chair, a steady stream of containers is transiting the terminal’s gates and keeps moving throughout the interview. Some might call it a subliminal message of prosperity, signaling the GPA’s continued prospects for growth as its executive administration successfully transitioned in January 2010. Others might just call it coincidence.

Foltz, who boasts a resume strong in global intermodal transportation and port operations, officially assumed his new duties on January 1. For the past five years, he worked alongside former Executive Director Doug J. Marchand and a strong supporting board as chief operating officer for the Georgia Ports Authority. He admits that he never dreamed he would one day be sitting at the helm of the fastest growing container port in the U.S. along with major bulk and roro contenders in Brunswick.

So what’s in store for GPA under Foltz’s leadership?

First and foremost, he said, his agenda will be to enhance and continue the work begun by his predecessors.

“The greatest thing in my mind is this fantastic opportunity I’ve had to work with the team. Doug (Marchand) and the board have worked through this transition for the last fi ve years. They have included me in all the strategic planning; a 10-year plan fi rst rolled out three years ago and updated yearly,” he said.

Foltz, who attributes GPA’s success to Marchand’s leadership, strong state and regional support, a supportive and pro-active board, and “unmatched people,” steps into the top position of an organization where the customer is the priority.

Echoing the standards set before him, “There is nothing more important than pleasing the customer,” he said. “Our employees take a sense of 'ownership' in the way we move cargo. That sense of pride differentiates our people and operations from our competitors.”

Servicing those customers, Foltz said, includes accommodating larger vessels by deepening Savannah's harbor from a current depth of 42 feet to a depth up to 48 feet, and he is optimistic that will be accomplished by 2015. The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), initiated in 1996, received a boost in October 2009 as $1.429 million was approved by Congress to support and continue state efforts for the harbordeepening project.

Under his leadership, Foltz will retain and enhance strong environmental initiatives, including continued use of electrically operated container cranes (as opposed to diesel) that regenerate their own power, and eliminate the use of more than 2 million gallons of diesel fuel in shore-based racking systems for refrigerated commodities.

“We’ve also very aggressively been working on a whole water runoff management program and will continue to do this,” he said. Boasting a leadership style that he calls “approachable and visible,” Foltz said he brings “a strong work ethic” with him, “giving clear direction and painting a picture of his broad expectations” to the supporting team.

When he’s not working, Foltz enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Donna, yet he’s never without his Blackberry.

What’s his background?

Curtis J. Foltz, born an Oklahoman, is the son of parents who worked in the textile industry, and while he grew up in the Southeast (North and South Carolina), he calls his childhood home Charlotte, N.C., because it was through a series of unique and “uncanny” events that led him to live there four different times, with each time leading him one step closer to Savannah.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s in business administration from East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.), his fi rst post-college job came at a time when “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he said.

That’s when McLean Trucking in Winston-Salem called in 1983. Heralded for developing the metal shipping container (in 1956), the company declared bankruptcy two years after Foltz was employed as Terminal Operations Manager, leading him to a similar position at Overnight Transportation in Charlotte.

With three years of logistics experience under his belt, 1986 would bring big changes for Foltz. Sea-Land Service, Inc., a company that helped pioneer the movement of container cargo, offered Foltz a managerial position within its terminal operations business.

“I had no clue who or what Sea-Land was,” he quipped. "When I got the call, I envisioned ‘Sea World.’ I went through an interview process and in 1986, started from the ground up."

“I worked in the New Orleans’ terminal business, equipment control, yard operations, and in 1989, was asked to leave New Orleans to serve as Manager of Operating Services for Sea- Land’s Americas division in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., overseeing operating improvements in all of their offshore operations.”

From New Orleans to Ft. Lauderdale, on to Liberty Corners, New Jersey, back to New Orleans, then to Charleston, South Carolina, and Tacoma, Washington, Foltz met the challenges of each position overseeing enhancements and improvements. But in 1999, he said, a defi ning moment in the industry led him back to Charlotte, once again.

"When Maersk Line acquired the liner shipping side of Sea-Land, it distanced itself as the premier ocean carrier of the world," he said. Foltz stayed with the parent company, CSX, through a wholly owned subsidiary-CSX World Terminals, LLC.

Throughout the fi ve years at CSX, Foltz served as General Manager of Terminal Management Services, Vice President and General Manager Americas, and fi nally, Senior Vice President of Operations for CSX World Terminals in Charlotte. His responsibilities included North and South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia, Europe and Corporate Operations.

What are his expectations?

In 2004, the GPA board and Doug (Marchand) “came knocking on our door,” he said. The GPA’s newly created position of chief operating offi cer became the perfect transition for Foltz to merge his years of experience with a team of progressive industry planners.

“My expectations are that we continue the successes that we’ve already experienced,” he said. “What has made us the fastest growing port in this nation and what we’re so fortunate to have is that there isn’t one thing that has made us successful but truly all those different elements that have made us successful.”

Those elements, according to Foltz, include “the best people who deliver the services, and our competitive advantages,” (i.e., freight mobility, technology, infrastructure, opportunities to service the supply chain through distribution centers, a deepened harbor in Brunswick, expanded opportunities at Mayor’s Point Terminal, East River Terminal, Lanier Docks, and Colonel’s Island Terminal).

“We’re number one in container operations. I’ve had the opportunity (and privilege) to see almost every terminal from around the world. I can confi dently say this: from our customers’ ability to come to a single terminal where all ocean carriers are calling, we can supply specialization, technology, class-one railroads, and USCBP in one facility, supported by strong service teams. There is not another facility that brings all of that to the table.”