Former VP of operations moving to new role
SAVANNAH, Ga., 30, 2026 – The Georgia Ports Authority has promoted Vice President of Operations Susan Gardner to the role of Chief Information Officer.
“Susan’s terminal operating expertise, systems knowledge and leadership will take us to the next level of performance for our customers and port users,” said GPA President Kevin Price.
As Vice President of Operations, Gardner currently oversees daily port operations in the Port of Savannah, which handles 40 ships per week, 42 doublestack trains per week and 15,000 truck transactions per day as the fastest growing port in the U.S. Southeast, handling 5.67 million TEUs in fiscal year 2026. The Port of Brunswick handles over 700 ships per year.
Gardner joined GPA in 2020, serving first as Senior Director of Operations and Projects, and then as Vice President of Operations managing daily operations and the Ocean Terminal project. Prior to joining GPA, Gardner worked for the terminal operations software company Kaleris/Navis as Vice President and General Manager of Field Operations in the Americas, managing 20 on-site software deployments per year with more than 100 customers.
Gardner brings more than 30 years of industry experience with progressive leadership roles in several port locations in the U.S.
“This is an exciting opportunity to find new ways to constantly improve our operations. We want our GPA service levels to be the best in the industry, delivering supply chains that flow smoother and compete stronger in world markets,” Gardner added.
Over the next decade, GPA’s strategic plan calls for $5 billion in infrastructure, including five big-ship container berths in Savannah and a fourth berth for Roll-on/Roll-off cargo at the Port of Brunswick.
Susan Gardner has been promoted to Chief Information Officer at Georgia Ports.
ABOUT GEORGIA PORTS
Georgia’s Ports in Savannah and Brunswick are strategic gateways, creating the most competitive supply chains in the nation with their level of operations, connectivity and supply chain ecosystem. These attributes combined with Georgia’s ranking as the top state to do business for 12 consecutive years create a strong business model for growth. The Port of Savannah is one of the best-connected ports in the U.S. to world markets with 40 ship calls a week, 42 doublestack trains per week and 14,000 truck gate moves daily. The Port of Brunswick is the number 1 ranked U.S. RoRo port by annual volumes for autos and has an increasing amount of machinery cargoes with its expanded high and heavy cargo operating space. GPA has a self-financed investment plan of nearly $5 billion for the next ten years which will see five big ship container berths added in Savannah (the most of any U.S. container port) and a fourth RoRo berth in Brunswick to meet future growth. Over the past 10 years, the GPA board has approved $4.13 billion in infrastructure improvements. As part of GPA’s community engagement efforts, $6 million is being donated to port communities to support a multi-year, local workforce housing initiative, helping over 200 families repair, buy or build a home in the Savannah area since its start in September 2023. For further information, visit gaports.com or contact Tom Boyd, Chief Communications Officer, at [email protected], 912-964-3884.