Members of the bi-state board leading the development of a deepwater port in Jasper County unanimously elected William L. Bethea Jr. of Hilton Head, South Carolina, to chair the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project Office (JPO) on Feb. The chairman serves a one-year term and alternates between the two states. James S. Balloun of Georgia served as JPO chairman in 2008 and was elected vice chairman at the meeting. Bethea served for 12 years on the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) Board, four of those years as chairman, and has served on the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development. “This project is vitally important to the economic future of our region and the state of South Carolina,” said Bethea.