Posted on August 27, 2025
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former South Carolina Ports CEO Barbara Melvin is set to receive over $800,000 in severance pay following her abrupt resignation last week.
Port officials confirmed Monday that Melvin’s contract had five years remaining and she will receive $822,780 in severance pay following her resignation. A $100,000 contribution will be made to her state retirement fund and she will be retained as a consultant for the rest of 2025, much like her predecessor Jim Newsome was during the transition between his leadership and hers.
Melvin announced her resignation Thursday just days after accepting over $21 million in funding for SC Ports and the US Army Corps of Engineers to finish the milestone 12-year Charleston Harbor Deepening Project. She cited “personal and professional reasons” for the decision, saying her sights were set on different opportunities.
Melvin led SC Ports for three years and is succeeded in the interim by CFO and Vice President Phillip Padgett.
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