At its January Advisory Board meeting, the Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI) in The Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, presented Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), with the Distinguished Service Award. The award honors Newsome’s numerous, exemplary contributions to the field and to the Haslam College of Business.
“Jim demonstrates that supply chain executives can lead their organizations to greater heights, not simply direct them to lower costs and increase output,” Ted Stank, faculty director of GSCI and Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business at Haslam, says.
Newsome took over direction of the South Carolina Ports Authority in 2009. Under his leadership, the Port of Charleston has doubled container volumes and progressed on major infrastructure projects, including building a new container terminal, set to open in March 2021. SCPA generates a $63.4 billion economic impact on the state each year, creating one in 10 jobs in South Carolina.
After earning his bachelor’s degree and MBA at Haslam, Newsome served in various roles in the shipping industry, eventually becoming executive vice president of Nedlloyd. Later, as president, he oversaw North and Latin America and the transatlantic trade. He moved to Hapag-Lloyd (America) in 1997 as senior vice president and later, president.
Newsome’s support of Haslam has taken many forms, including establishing the Mr. and Mrs. James I. Newsome Jr. Scholarship for supply chain management students, providing critical content for courses and regularly engaging with students.
“Jim always makes a point of getting to know the scholarship recipient,” Mary Holcomb, the Gerald T. Niedert Supply Chain Fellow, says. “He also always takes the time from an unbelievably hectic schedule to speak to and interact with our MBAs. His contributions to our program go above and beyond just ‘giving back.’”
The university has a rich history with supply chain management, going back as far as the 1930s. The GSCI was created in 2012. Since its inception, four other individuals have been recognized with the GSCI Distinguished Service Award.
Previous Recipients
- Dave Clark, SVP, worldwide operations and customer service, Amazon (2018)
- Daniel Myers, former executive VP global supply chain, Mondelez International (2017)
- Mack Dove, chairman, AAA Cooper Transportation (2017)
- Gerry Niedert, CEO, Black Horse Carriers, Inc. (2016)
In accepting the award, Newsome reflected on the value of his education at UT and praised the ongoing work of the supply chain program.
“During my nearly 45-year business career, my logistics degree from UT has opened many doors for me around the world,” Newsome says. “I am very proud of the work done by Chad Autry and the supply chain management faculty to build one of the best supply chain programs in the country. It is a great honor to be a small part of that, and I look forward to a continued association with the Haslam and the university.”