McCownGordon Selects CEO to Board Chair, Adds Three Board Members

Posted April 29, 2025

McCownGordon Construction has selected three new board members and elevated CEO Ramin Cherafat to chair of the board.

The three new board members include Steve Levy, chief operating officer; Ken Williams, former chief financial officer and board member of global engineering firm Black & Veatch; and Linda McMahon, chief executive officer of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation, according to a release.

Cherafat, with 25 years at the firm and having served as the CEO for the past 7 years, has been elected as board chair.

Levy has over 30 years of construction operations experience and 20 years in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Levy serves as the third inside board member, along with Cherafat and chief financial officer Jeff Placek. He began his role as COO in 2021.

Steve Levy, chief operating officer at McCownGordon Construction. Photo credit: McCownGordon Construction.

Williams will leverage his expertise from Black & Veatch, where he served as chief financial officer for over 4 years. He also served in several executive roles at other organizations, including Fluor Corporation and World Vision International.

McMahon brings financial and real estate expertise to the board. She currently serves as the inaugural CEO for the Dallas Economic Development Corporation. Before her inaugural position, she served for over 14.5 years at the Real Estate Council in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as president and CEO.

“As our company continues its growth trajectory, it was important to add some new board members that align with our long-term goals. Because of our expansion into the Texas market, along with our national business unit focused on the manufacturing sector, we strategically sought out seasoned experts that align with both expansion markets,” Cherafat said in the release.