ATLANTA — Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Doug J. Marchand and Chief Operating Officer Curtis J. Foltz addressed business leaders at the Georgia Chamber’s Cornerstone Luncheon on Wednesday to announce the importance of Georgia’s deepwater ports to the metro Atlanta area.

“The impacts of Georgia’s deepwater ports reach every corner of this state,” said Marchand.

According to Marchand, the metro Atlanta area imported and exported cargo with an estimated total value of $7.7 billion in the past year. Fulton County shipped $3.6 billion alone.

Marchand will step down from his position as the GPA’s executive director effective Jan. 1, 2010. He will remain as executive advisor through the end of 2010, while Foltz will become GPA’s executive director.

“Over the years, Georgia’s ports have transformed into the most accessible, best equipped, most efficient in the nation,” Foltz said. “Our strategic development planning has ensured that the State of Georgia is prepared to handle the growth demands necessary to advance economic development and opportunity. Equipment and infrastructure improvements, aggressive sales and marketing tools, improved road and rail connectivity, and expanded warehousing and distribution inventories all offer a firm foundation for the future prosperity of this region. The single most important factor to ensure our future success, however, remains the completion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.”