Govs. Sonny Perdue of Georgia and Mark Sanford of South Carolina appointed six members to the task force that will develop a proposal for a port in Jasper County, S.C., that is to be owned, developed and operated by the two states.

Each governor appointed three individuals to represent his state.

Jim Lientz, former president of Bank of America’s mid South division and an ex-officio member of the Georgia Ports Authority Board of Directors, will be Mr. Perdue’s chief operating officer. He will be in charge of the leadership, management, and supervision of state departments, agencies, and their respective boards and commissions.

State Sen. Jack Hill of Reidsville, who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and also serves on the Ethics, Natural Resources and the Environment, Regulated Industries and Utilities and Rules committees, will serve on the task force.

Jim Balloun, former CEO of Acuity Brands and an engineer who served for three years on the U.S. Navy Civil Engineering Corps, will also represent Georgia on the task force.

For South Carolina, Mr. Sanford selected his chief of staff Tom Davis, an attorney, to be a member of the task force.

Bill Stern, president and CEO of Stern & Stern and Associates, a commercial real estate development company and chairman of the South Carolina State Ports Authority will be on the task force.

And Bill Bethea, former South Carolina ports authority chairman and senior vice president and general counsel of Chaffin/Light Associates Co. will also represent South Carolina on the task force.

Contact Bert Brantley at (404) 651-7774 or Joel Sawyer at (803) 734-2100 for more information.