57th GEORGIA INTERNATIONAL
TRADE CONFERENCE

Board Chairman Alec Poitevint is a past chairman of 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.

Flavio Batista serves as the Chief Commercial Officer for the Georgia Ports, a global gateway for international trade and investment.
 
 In this role, he is responsible for providing the strategic leadership of the Georgia Ports Authority's business development, sales & marketing activities and economic development. His passion for finding end-to-end solutions for customers, combined with more than two decades of maritime industry experience, drives his work promoting Georgia Ports.
 
 Flavio joined the GPA from Wallenius Wilhelmsen, where served as Senior Vice President and head of Americas sales, leading ocean and logistics commercial development and customer relations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. He previously served at WWL as Executive Vice President and head of commercial activities for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and as Vice President in São Paulo, Brazil, responsible for South America.

Robert Davy is the Sr. Director of Supply Chain for Kubota Tractor Corporation. He joined Kubota in February of 2020, and has responsibility for fulfillment of all nationwide Kubota dealer orders for machinery and attachments. Scope of responsibilities include S&OP, dealer orders management, factory and supplier procurement, nationwide DC operations, international and domestic transportation, dealer inventory management, supply chain modeling and analytics.  

Robert spent the majority of his career with Caterpillar. His roots were in manufacturing before progressing upward through procurement, quality, logistics, and supply management roles. He worked across different divisions and locations including agricultural, hydraulic, compact construction, and forestry. Robert was a division manager in the corporate supply chain office, with responsibility for global supply chain planning processes, tools and optimization.

Curtis Dubay is the Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He tracks the condition of the economy, analyzes the impact of public policy on economic growth, and runs the Chamber’s Chief Economists Committee. Previously, he was senior economist at the American Bankers Association and a research fellow in tax and economic policy at The Heritage Foundation. He also worked at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and at the Tax Foundation.

Dubay has researched and published frequently on a wide range of tax and economic issues. He is regularly quoted by the press and has appeared often in the media, including on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He has testified before Congress several times and been cited in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico.

 Dubay received his master’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and his bachelor’s degree in economics and leadership studies from the University of Richmond. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons.

Ed Elkins is EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at Norfolk Southern Corporation. Since 1827, Norfolk Southern has safely moved the goods and materials that drive the U.S. economy. Today, it operates a customer-centric and operations-driven freight transportation network that serves a majority of the country's population and manufacturing base, with connections to more than 54 inland, lake, river, and sea ports. Committed to furthering sustainability, Norfolk Southern helps its customers avoid approximately 15 million tons of yearly carbon emissions by shipping via rail. The railroad’s dedicated team members deliver more than 7 million carloads annually, from agriculture to consumer goods, operate the most extensive intermodal network in the eastern US, and originate more automotive traffic than any other Class I Railroad. 
 
 Appointed Chief Commercial Officer in 2021, Elkins leads the company’s Intermodal, Automotive, and Industrial Products business divisions. He also manages the Real Estate, Industrial Development, Short Line Marketing, Field Sales, and Customer Logistics business groups. 
 
 After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Elkins was hired by Norfolk Southern as a Road Brakeman in 1988. He then served as a Conductor, Locomotive Engineer, and a Relief Yardmaster. Following his time in Operations, Elkins spent two decades in Intermodal Marketing. In 2016, Elkins was named Group Vice President of Chemicals Marketing, and in 2018, he was promoted to Vice President of Industrial Products. 
 
 Currently, Elkins serves as the Vice Chair of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and sits on the boards of directors of the East Lake Foundation, National Association of Manufacturers, and TTX Company. Elkins also serves on the Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable and is a member of The Conference Board, Inc. on the Council for CMOs. 
 
 Elkins is a native of Southwest Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and an MBA from Old Dominion University with a concentration in Port & Maritime Economics.

Chris Gaffney, former VP of Global Strategic Supply Chain at The Coca-Cola Company, now serves as The Managing Director of the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech. Chris is also a Principal at EDGE Supply Chain, offering expertise in supply chain consulting. In his 25 years at Coca-Cola, he held various leadership roles, including President of Coca-Cola Supply and SVP of Product Supply System Strategy. 
 
 Chris was previously the President of the National Product Supply Group, a governing body responsible for 95% of volume produced in North America. 
 
 Chris, a Georgia Tech alum, is also a board member of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer. Outside work, he enjoys distance running, reading, and boxing.

Ray Hufnagel serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Express, the largest U.S. veteran-owned and operated logistics company in the world. Plastic Express specializes in Bulk Trucking, Warehousing, Packaging, Transloading, and Port Drayage. Ray joined Plastic Express in 2001, holding various Operational and Sales positions before becoming President in 2008.

Plastic Express, headquartered in Pasadena, Texas, operates 85 Bulk Rail Terminals with over 10,000 railcar spots and manages 30 Warehouses encompassing more than 7.0 million square feet nationwide. With over 1,400 employees across 21 states, the asset-based company is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Before joining Plastic Express, Ray served for 10 years as an Officer and Carrier Aviator in the United States Navy. He held roles in Safety, Operations, Maintenance, Quality Assurance, and Standardization, serving in two carrier battle groups and flying missions in support of Operation Southern Watch and Desert Fox. Ray’s final Navy tour was as an instructor at the Fleet Replacement Squadron and the Naval Weapons School.

Ray holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He is married to Jennifer Hufnagel, and together they have two sons, Raymond and Davis.

Ray currently serves as the President of the North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS). He also serves as Southwest Trustee for the Boy’s and Girls Club of America. Prior to this, Ray has held various leadership and advisory roles across several industry organizations. These include serving as a past President of the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS), and participating on boards and committees such as the BNSF Customer Advisory Board, California Film Extruders and Converters Association, Western Plastics Association, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. In 2016 he was named the SWARS “Person of the Year” in 2016.

Outside of work, Ray enjoys running, ocean sports, fishing, and golf.

Maryclare Kenney leads the CSX commercial organization as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. She oversees the company’s profitable growth strategies as well as customer service, customer engagement and business development activities. 

Previously, she held the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in which she was responsible for Merchandise Sales and Marketing, Total Distribution Services, Inc. (TDSI), Automotive Sales and Marketing, as well as TRANSFLO. 

Prior to that, Kenney served as Vice President for Intermodal and Automotive, leading CSX's sales and marketing functions for intermodal customers and those producing and transporting autos and auto parts both domestically and internationally. 

Kenney joined CSX in 2011 as Director of Domestic Sales and has since held roles of increasing responsibility, including Assistant Vice President of Intermodal Sales and Head of Automotive. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving growth and innovation across multiple business segments. 

Before joining CSX, Kenney spent four years at PepsiCo, where she held various sales leadership and strategy roles. She also served in the U.S. Army for seven years, achieving the rank of captain. Her military service included company and battalion leadership roles with the 3rd Infantry and 101st Airborne Divisions, as well as supporting counter-drug operations in the Bahamas and combat operations in Iraq. 

Kenney’s commitment to the military and employee engagement is evident in her role as the executive sponsor of CSX's Military Business Resource Group. In this capacity, she champions initiatives supporting veterans, military-affiliated employees, and communities across the CSX network. 

In 2024, Kenney was recognized on the International Rail Journal's list of top Women in Rail, celebrating her leadership and contributions to the rail industry. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame. Additionally, she completed the Executive Development Program at Harvard in 2016.

Griff Lynch serves as President and 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.

Amy Paulsen has led the Finished Vehicle Logistics role at General Motors since August, 2024. 
 
 Prior to GM, Amy spent the previous 14 years in progressive logistics leadership roles, including global procurement for Caterpillar, building launch logistics capability and designing all export markets for Tesla, building Rivian’s logistics department from a parcel account to a sophisticated full-service department, and executing a cultural turnaround at Lucid. Prior to logistics, Amy dabbled as a practicing attorney and Secret Service special agent. 
 
 She is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A.) and Loyola University New Orleans (J.D.). Amy and her husband currently divide their time between Michigan (for GM), and Southern California.

Walter E. Sanchez is the General Manager of Global Supply Chain at Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP.

With more than 30 years of experience in the petrochemical industry, Walter has built a distinguished career leading global operations and optimizing logistics across multiple modes of transportation. Since assuming his current role in 2020, he has been recognized for his strategic vision, strong leadership, and ability to foster collaborative relationships with key logistics partners.

Prior to this position, Walter held various operational and commercial management roles within Chevron Phillips Chemical, where he consistently drove efficiency and innovation. Before joining Chevron Phillips Chemical, he served as Operations Manager at A&R Transport (now Quantix) and as Terminal Supervisor at Highway Transport.

Walter earned a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

Stuart Sandlin is the President of Hapag-Lloyd North America and a member of the company’s global Executive Committee. He is dedicated to leading Hapag-Lloyd as a customer-centric and empowered organization, with a strong focus on becoming the leading carrier in liner shipping for service quality. 
 
 Stuart holds degrees in International Economics and Industrial Engineering, with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. Since beginning his career with Hapag-Lloyd in 2001, he has held a variety of commercial and sales leadership roles across key global locations, including Atlanta, Hamburg, Houston, and Piscataway. 
 
 In 2015, Stuart joined UASC as CEO of the Americas, returning to Hapag-Lloyd in 2017 through the merger of the two companies. His experience has consistently centered on delivering innovative, customer-focused solutions across the shipping and logistics value chain. 
 
 Stuart also serves on several advisory boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Tennessee’s Supply Chain Board, and Norfolk Southern’s Customer Advisory Board.

Fabio's ascent from the coastal plains of Rome to the leadership of MSC underscores his steadfast dedication to excellence and service. Joining the Italian Navy at 18, he earned a Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering before becoming one of the few selected for Italian aviator training.  
 
 His path led him to the U.S., where he excelled in Navy flight training, earning his 'Naval Aviator' wings in 2001. 
 
 Returning to Italy, Fabio served as a pilot for both the Italian Navy and Allied forces, commanding the MHC Viareggio and undergoing rigorous training, including commanding officer school in Augusta. After 15 years of distinguished service, he retired and relocated to the U.S. with his family, where he and his wife are proud parents of three children. 
 
 In 2010, Fabio began his journey with MSC, swiftly rising through the ranks from entry-level positions to branch management. Recognized for his leadership qualities, he was appointed President in 2015, a role he assumed with a commitment to consensus-driven decision-making and upholding MSC's core values.  
 
 Today, as CEO of MSC USA and Medlog, Fabio continues to lead with vision and integrity, shaping the future of MSC while remaining dedicated to philanthropic endeavours and preserving the company's rich heritage.

Don Schoenl is the President / CEO, and a founding member of Agile Cold Storage with over 25 years’ experience in the cold storage and food manufacturing industries. He was previously the President of Nordic Cold Storage; Agro-Merchants North America, and the World Food Logistics Organization.

Ken is a passionate and innovative results-oriented executive, advisor, and board member with over 30 years of expertise across various management responsibilities, including Procurement, Sales, Operations, Regulatory Affairs, and Product Management.

He has held numerous expatriate assignments, leading and managing multilingual and multicultural teams on a global basis. Currently, he serves as the Head of Global Procurement at Wayfair LLC.

Each year, he speaks at various trade events worldwide, sharing insights and perspectives on the logistics industry and considerations for supply chain management.

Ken is married to his wife, Kamella, and they have two daughters

Mark Szakonyi leads the Journal of Commerce’s team of editors, correspondents, and analysts in providing business-critical and data-heavy business intelligence and analysis. Szakonyi oversees the Journal of Commerce magazine and JOC.com which includes the shipping dashboard Gateway. His analysis and work have been quoted in general business news media including the BBC, Bloomberg, The Economist, NPR, and USA Today.

Peter Tirschwell is Vice President, Journal of Commerce, within S&P Global. Based in New York City, Peter leads the Journal of Commerce, the former daily New York City maritime newspaper founded in 1827, which will celebrate its bicentennial in 2027. Peter leads team of specialized business journalists reporting on end-to-end global ocean containerized supply chains within S&P Global. He is the founder and chairman of TPM, the world’s largest container shipping event founded in 2001 and held annually in Long Beach, Calif. TPM is built around an independent editorial program developed by the JOC journalist team addressed to the needs of logistics and procurement teams at retail, consumer product, agribusiness, trading, industrial, manufacturing and other shipper companies.

A career business journalist, Peter has served in several roles at the Journal of Commerce over his 30+ year career. He was a maritime reporter, West Coast Bureau Chief, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the daily Journal of Commerce newspaper. In his current role he leads the JOC business within the Global Insights business line of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

He reports and writes biweekly news analysis, is regularly invited to speak to industry groups, has authored several recent Op-Ed pieces for Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and has been quoted or interviewed by CNBC, CBS News, NPR, FT, the New York Times and many others.

Mitch Williams serves as the Director of Destination Operations at Amazon Global Logistics.
 
 In his role Mitch is responsible for the strategy and operations of Amazon’s destination operations including drayage, transloading, and domestic linehaul. He has a proven track record of driving large scale process improvement and cost optimization across multiple supply chain sectors.
 
 In his previous role at Amazon, Mitch led the launch and scale of Amazon Heavy Bulky Home Delivery operation across North America for six years. Prior to joining Amazon he was the Director of Supply Chain and Logistics at Wayfair.