The document discusses how the employees of the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) demonstrate strong commitment both at work and in their communities. It profiles several GPA employees who go above and beyond in their jobs and also contribute to community improvement efforts. The employees highlighted show leadership, strive for ongoing self-improvement, and make positive impacts through volunteer work and community involvement.

1. WEMAKEADIFFERENCE
1100
STRONG
whoWEARE
whatWEDOAND HOW

2. WEMAKEADIFFERENCE
1100
STRONG
whoWEARE
whatWEDOAND HOW
Each day, Georgia Ports Authority’s 1,100 workers demonstrate their commitment
to building healthy communities, leading healthy lives and going the extra mile
to ensure GPA customers receive world-class service.
In this publication, we share just a few of their stories of ongoing community engagement,
triumph over health challenges, and the personal leadership that sets this organization apart.

3. It is with great pleasure I introduce “1,100 Strong,”our new publication highlighting
how GPA’s employees are making a difference.
There are many great stories to be told, and these 12 are just beginning to scratch
the surface of the incredible contributions our employees make on the job, in our
community and,yes,even in the gym.However,it is fair to say that here,in these pages,
are words, actions and photos that can be an inspiration to us all.
RunningNorthAmerica’ssinglelargestandfastestgrowingcontainerterminal,andthe
country’s second busiest auto port requires your leadership,teamwork and discipline.
Our customer-centered philosophy has made it convenient, simple and cost-effective
to move cargo through Georgia’s ports. Port users are continually impressed with the
level of service they receive from GPA’s employees.
As you will read in this publication, that can-do spirit extends beyond the workplace
to include issues of personal health, wellness, safety and community.
Wearepleasedtohighlighttheexcellentworkfromindividualsacrossourorganization.
Curtis J. Foltz
Executive Director
aCOMMUNITYOF
LEADERS

4. TheGeorgiaPortsAuthorityemploysanamazinggroupofpeoplewhoenjoybeingpart
of such a successful company and knowing they make it happen each day.This is why
we were voted one of Savannah’s best places to work in 2015.
GPA’s Waterfront Wellness Program is a huge part of our culture.We have highlighted
just a few of our wellness superstars. Our employees take pride in staying healthy,
and we want to make it easy for them. We have a state-of-the-art gym at Garden City
Terminal open 24/7. Our engineering team is currently designing gyms for Ocean
Terminal and the Port of Brunswick. Our two walking trails are another way to show
our support for wellness. In 2016, we will introduce our new employee cafeteria,
offering a variety of healthy meal options.
Another important component is our Employee Health Services Clinic. Our health
professionals make it easy for our employees to walk over for whatever they may need.
The on-site generic prescription clinic makes it convenient for employees to pick up
prescriptions right at work. We have four health kiosks placed in locations that allow
employees to check their blood pressure, weight and other health indicators.
This publication showcases just a few of the wonderful employees reaching out to
those in need. They make a difference in people’s lives. Collectively, the Georgia Ports
Authority community contributes more than $250,000 a year to the United Way of
the Coastal Empire and its many charitable foundations. Generous support for those
whoarelessfortunateisanimportantpartofthecultureattheGeorgiaPortsAuthority.
Join me in congratulating this exemplary group of individuals.Thank you to all GPA
employees for what you do for us each and every day.
Lise Altman
Senior Director of Human Resources
GPAcares

5. “If you don’t have a goal, beyond making a paycheck, you aren’t going to make it,”
said Allen Cook.
Cook is an operations foreman at GPA’s Colonel’s Island facility. He has
been with GPA for 18 years and also oversees the dust control systems at
Colonel’s Island.
Cook,who started as a temporary employee,has used a series of attainable
goals as the guideposts for his career at GPA — forming a new goal each
time he was able to tick one off the list.
“When I was a temp, my goal was to go full time. When I was full time, my goal
was to learn everything I could about this business and become a clerk. When
I became a clerk my goal was to keep moving up,” Cook said.
His goals related to where he wanted his career to go, but also to the
quality of his work.
“Once I took over dust systems, I made a goal to make every system here run better
than they ever have and to do my best to maintain them,” he said.
Cook’s goal setting has never stopped.
“My goal now is to help oversee the growth of this facility — to do a little more
business and add a few more jobs to help the local economy.”
GPA’s success in Brunswick for Cook is personal.He grew up in Brunswick
and wants to do whatever he can to help create more prosperity and jobs
for the area.
“By doing more business, we can hire more people and have an even greater impact
on the local economy,” he said.
ALLEN COOK
WORKPLACE ACHIEVEMENT
ALWAYS
TOWARD A GOAL
WORKING

6. ApositiveattitudeisonethingDavidCrosscreditsforhissuccessfulcareer
at GPA. Cross is a foreman of the automotive and small forklift team.
In Cross’ experience, a positive attitude motivates people, and leading by
example is one way to get a team moving in the right direction.
“I wouldn’t send anyone to do something I wouldn’t do myself,” he said.
Cross leads a team of five responsible for the maintenance of more than
200 trucks and 35 forklifts.
“I like what I do,” Cross said. “It’s a different thing every day.”
Cross has seen an amazing amount of change at GPA in his 31-year career.
Whenhestarted,employeestraveledfromoneendofGardenCityTerminal
to the other on bicycles. The scope of his responsibilities has steadily
increasedovertheyearsandnowincludesforkliftsandtherecentaddition
of two motorized ramps at Ocean Terminal for rail unloading.
“It’s not a boring job,” he said with a grin.
One thing that has never changed is Cross’ commitment to excellence.
“If we mess up, we could put someone’s life in danger,” Cross said. “I’m not going
to put anyone’s life in danger.”
ALWAYS
TOWARDS A GOAL
WORKING
ATTITUDE
everything
IS
DAVID CROSS
WORKPLACE ACHIEVEMENT

7. You wouldn’t know it now, but Corporal Felicia Daniels didn’t set out
to become a police officer. She started her career in public safety as a 911
dispatcher.
After serving as a police officer for more than 15 years,(11 as a member of
GPA’s Port Police), Corporal Daniels commands the respect of a born cop.
“I like being a police officer,” Daniels said.“People say I don’t take any foolishness,
and I don’t!” she added with a laugh.
That was apparent on a recent drive as each person she passed on terminal
waved, then pointed to their seat belt so she could see they were in
compliance.
Although Daniels takes her job and its responsibilities very seriously,
she also enjoys interacting with a diverse range of people every day.
From GPA staff to truck drivers and longshoremen, Daniels says,
“I just like interacting with people. It’s a good job. I’m meeting different types
of people every day.”
KEEPINGthe terminal
SAFE
FELICIA DANIELS
WORKPLACE ACHIEVEMENT

8. Adam Deleanides wants to be in the best shape of his life when he retires
in a few years.
For Deleanides, a ship-to-shore crane maintenance and repair manager,
working out and eating a balanced diet isn’t about dramatic weight loss
or how he looks in the mirror, it’s about being able to enjoy his life to
the fullest.
“I’m not on the fast track. I’m on the long term, lose it easy plan,” Deleanides said.
“I’m not going to die early. I want to be able to travel and see my grandkids
graduate from high school.”
When the Waterfront Wellness program kicked off about five years
ago, something clicked for Deleanides and he’s been involved in every
fitness program offered at GPA since. He works out four-days a week at
the GPA gym and you’ll often find him doing Zumba or at a Weight
Watchers meeting.
Deleanides is 30 pounds lighter than he was when he started his fitness
journey, and, more importantly, he feels better.
“I don’t get winded when I walk to the car,” he said. “I’m more flexible, my
golf game is better.”
Getting in shape was a complete lifestyle change, Deleanides said.
“For the last 20 years I gained five pounds a year, so for the next 10 years I want
to reverse the trend,” he said. “It’s been a long road and I’m not done yet.”
long-term
RESULTS
ADAM DELEANIDES
WELLNESS

9. Gerald Frazier is working to better his community one run-down house
at a time.
Abackgroundinrealestatehasshownhimhowhomeownershipimproves
a person’s financial situation, provides stability, and raises property value
in the surrounding area.
His church, Followers of Christ Baptist Church, is putting that theory
into action. They have already purchased two homes in the surrounding
neighborhood. One of the homes was burned out and boarded up and
is now being renovated to be used in the future as temporary housing
for families in crisis.
The process of renovating the houses also allows young people to be
involved and work side by side with adults, including master carpenters.
Frazier’s theory on community improvement is to value and promote
education and work.
“It’s good to give, but better when people can provide for themselves” Frazier said.
Frazier focuses on education and mentorship with the young people he
knows, helping to prepare them for graduation and then employment
or college.
He is practicing what he preaches by working at GPA and finishing his
degree at Seminary Revelation Bible College by the end of the year.
“We can be a light to someone else,” Frazier said. “GPA provides us with a good
job, and we are able to make a difference in the community. The port is part of
that community.”
ALWAYS
TOWARDS A GOAL
WORKING
IMPROVING THE
WITH EDUCATION
COMMUNITY
&WORK
GERALD FRAZIER
COMMUNITY SERVICE

10. According to Lee Jenkins, everyone can do something to make their
community better.
“You can’t do everything,” Jenkins said. “But everyone can do something.”
Jenkins, an equipment operator at GPA, helps to coordinate a monthly
community food pantry that fills two major roles.
It feeds people — mainly seniors and disabled on a fixed income, who
are often caring for small children. It also gives young people in the
neighborhood an opportunity to be involved in a worthy cause.
Jenkins works with a dedicated team of volunteers to run the pantry
each month.
“We see people hungry, so we try to help the local community,” he said.
As people streamed in on a recent Saturday morning to collect their bags
of food,they were greeted with hugs and handshakes.The bags were filled
with meat and dry goods and the people who collected them were helped
out by two smiling young men.
Each month, the Fresh Fire Food Pantry serves about 90 households
that support more than 250 individuals.
“We try to make a difference,” Jenkins said. “We have to start right here,
where we are.”
THE
FEEDING
COMMUNITY
LEE JENKINS
COMMUNITY SERVICE

11. Mill Lawson, a GPA systems engineer, began his fitness journey three
yearsagowhenhisdoctorrecommendedthathebegintakingmedications
for both high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
He got the doctor to agree to give him six months to get in shape before
starting the daily meds, and immediately began using the P90x workout
and diet plan.
When Lawson finished with the 90-day program in 2012, the GPA gym
opened, making it easier for him to fit his workouts in over lunch.
“I don’t think I would be as dedicated to a program if I had to go to an offsite gym
and compete with crowds,” he said. “Going somewhere else day in and day out is
such a hassle compared to having this right down the street.”
When Lawson went back to his doctor six months later, he was down
40 pounds and feeling great.
“My numbers were spectacular,” he said. Lawson said his first thought was,
“Why didn’t I do it sooner?”
One key to Lawson’s success was choosing a plan and sticking to it. “It’s
more mental than physical. You have to set a goal and set a structure in place that
you can follow,” he said. “You have to know what you will eat tomorrow and
what your workout will be and you have to do it automatically.”
Another was sticking with it, even when he didn’t see results for more
than six weeks.
“No matter what is happening, give it six to eight weeks before you judge,”
Lawson said. After eight weeks he began to see changes in his body and
it motivated him to continue.
Although Lawson’s closet is full of new clothes that accommodate his
60-pound weight loss, he keeps a few pairs of pants and a belt that he
wore before getting into shape.
“Every once in awhile, I pull them out to emphasize how far I’ve come,” he said.
“And it makes my son laugh when I put them on.”
BETTER
NUMBERSBETTER
HEALTH
MILL LAWSON
WELLNESS

12. Kids are the future of families, neighborhoods, faith communities and
the world. Reese McCorkle believes this and believes it’s worth his time
to invest in that future.
“Kids in the world we live in today need to be grounded in their spirituality and
know how to keep their faith solid,” McCorkle said.
McCorkle, assistant manager of crane operations at GPA, is chairman
of a board of directors responsible for the upkeep and operation of the
Georgia Primitive Baptist Youth Camp outside of Metter.
All three of McCorkle’s children attended the camp.
The camp, located on a pristine hillside off a two-lane road, plays
host to three weeks worth of camps for Primitive Baptist organizations
in Georgia.
It is leased for much of the rest of the year to other faith groups for
meetings and retreats.
The historic grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. The
main feature is a majestic live oak tree under whose branches you will
find youth gathered at all times during the camp. The shade and cross
breezes make it feel at least 10 degrees cooler under its leaves where
swings and benches fill the space.
Themainstructureisanoldschoolhousebuiltinthe1940s.Thecampalso
hasafullkitchenanddininghall,dorms,apool,playground,andballfield.
It accommodates up to 300 people.
McCorkle looks at his investment of time and resources into the camp
as an investment into future generations.
GROUNDEDKIDS
GROWING
REESE McCORKLE
COMMUNITY SERVICE

13. Kwamie Rhodes is a different person than he was two years ago. He is
stronger,more active and more than 100 pounds lighter.Rhodes,who has
been an equipment operator at GPA for nine years, has taken advantage
of fitness programs provided by GPA to not only lose excess weight, but
to drastically improve his health.
Rhodes started Weight Watchers in December 2012 here at GPA in
a group that meets every Tuesday during lunch.
Mark Bowen, Waterfront Wellness nurse practitioner, said Rhodes’
determination is illustrated by a story he told during a Weight Watchers
meeting around the time he had lost 50 pounds. Rhodes said he and his
family were on the way home when he checked his active link, a Weight
Watchers tool designed to track one’s daily physical activity.The active link
showed that he had not met his minimal activity requirements,so he asked
his wife to let him out of the car and walked the final two miles home.
Before joining Weight Watchers, Rhodes said he had settled for being a
big guy; but once he started, he realized that if he put in the effort, he
could be lean and healthy.
Benefits Rhodes experienced from his weight loss include increased
energy,lower blood sugar and blood pressure. In addition,he said he isn’t
as prone to common colds.
His advice to others trying to improve their health is to keep on keeping
on, and to use the GPA fitness center 3-4 times per week.
“Sometimesyoufalloff,butwhenyoudo,youjusthavetogetback on,” Rhodessaid.
ALWAYS
TOWARDS A GOAL
WORKING GAINING
health
KWAMIE RHODES
WELLNESS

14. Roeshone Scott, a GPA risk management technician, is doing her part
to help troubled youth by investing her time in children at the Youth
Detention Center in Savannah.
Working with the Center’s Advisory Council, Scott encourages members
of the community and family to work together to develop a relationship
that provides future direction for the residents of the YDC.
“All of these children have hit a bump in the road,” Scott said. “We come in as
mentors and motivators to help them regroup. To make them see that they are
valuable — we don’t discard them.”
Scott gives the staff at the Youth Detention Center credit for being on the
front lines of some of society’s most difficult issues.
The council seeks to support residents of the Youth Detention Center in
successful reentry into society.
One way Scott’s group facilitates successful reentry is by connecting the
residents to a diverse community of mentors.
The council’s largest event is a Father’s Day banquet where more than 200
members of the community volunteer their time to interact one-on-one
with residents.
Successful volunteers from all walks of life are paired with residents
during the event. They are seated next to each other and talk about
interests and life in general.
The banquet requires residents to work together to create decorations,
escort guests, and showcase their talents during the event.
On the surface, the banquet looks like just good fun, but the council
makes sure it has a much larger impact than simple entertainment.
“We show them how they can become better citizens and make better choices,”
Scott said. “That’s what’s important.”
MOTIVATINGTHE FUTURE OF
SAVANNAH
ROESHONE SCOTT
COMMUNITY SERVICE

15. Paul Wood has been a crane operator for 21 years, and he attributes a
strong willingness to learn to his success.
“You think you’ve seen it all, and I just about have, but there are still things to
learn,” Wood said.
Wood was part of the team that created a software program for running the
ship-to-shorecraneswhenGPAswitchedtoanewtechnology.Woodworked
alongside vendors and others from GPA to customize the new program.
Another thing that has made Wood successful is his willingness to
innovate and work with other departments at GPA. If he sees something
that can increase productivity or make a crane operator’s job easier,
he works closely with the crane maintenance teams to implement his
ideas.Now,whentrainingotheroperatorsWoodtriestopassthatingenuity
on to new recruits, as well as the incredible patience it takes to become
an efficient operator.
“It looks simple,” Wood said, “but it’s not.”
Beyond the competitive pay and benefits of working for GPA, Wood says
the view from the cab of a crane over the Savannah River of the Savannah
National Wildlife Refuge and Talmadge Bridge is another reason he’s
stuck around for more than 20 years.
“Not very many people in the world get to do my job,” Wood said.“And it’s a great
view during your shift.”
PAUL WOOD
WORKPLACE ACHIEVEMENT
INNOVATIONFOR
success

16. The day DeLisa Wright-Kelley went shopping and had to search the
petite plus section for a size 18 to fit her 4’10” frame was the day she
decided it was time to improve her health and appearance.
“Divine intervention” is what she calls it when GPA began to offer an
on-site Weight Watchers program.
Wright-Kelley, an operations administrative supervisor/planner, said she
learned about GPA’s Weight Watchers plan, that it was convenient and
reimbursable, right after her ah-ha moment in the clothing store.
She joined Weight Watchers in 2010 and is now a lifetime member. “I’m
awalkingbillboardforWeightWatchers,”Wright-Kelleysaid.“Iwentfrom
a size 16 to a size four. It really works!”
Wright-Kelleyalsowalksthreemilesthreetimesaweekanddoesworkout
videos at home.
“It was a struggle, at first, to learn how to count points, read labels and measure
food,” Wright-Kelley said. “But it comes naturally now. It’s not hard; I just eat
less. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.”
After following the program, not only does she now sport size four jeans,
but she has more energy. Thanks to Weight Watchers, her new cooking
strategies have not only improved her health, but her entire family’s.
“High blood pressure runs in my family, and I refuse to get it,” Wright-Kelley said.
ALWAYS
TOWARDS A GOAL
WORKING WALKING
weightwatchers
BILLBOARD FOR
DELISA WRIGHT-KELLEY
WELLNESS

17. 40
YEARS
SERVICE
OF
GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY

18. 40
JOE BRANNEN
CHRIS CARTER
ED BAZEMORE
STEVE COLLUM
BARRY CONAWAY
EDDIE HARPER
JOHN JACOBS
40
YEARS
SERVICE
OF
GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY

19. 40
BETTY ANN RAPPE
RANDY JONES
FRANK KIMBLE
JAMES MATHIS
LARRY SMITH
KENNY SLATER
40
YEARS
SERVICE
OF
GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY