Leadership
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Derek joined Gracon in 2014 as Senior Project Manager. In April 2015, he assumed the position of President, and in January of 2019, added the title of CEO. His experience in overseeing project management, budget controls, contractual review, scheduling, and cost analysis helps him direct the construction management team at Gracon. His engineering education and six years of management with a major civil construction firm provides the skills needed for the leadership and strategic vision of Gracon. Derek graduated from Colorado School of mines with a degree in civil engineering.
J. Michael Earwood
Vice President
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Michael began his career forty years ago with a four-year apprenticeship boilermaker program before working his way up through the ranks. His experience serving in many different positions for several heavy industrial construction firms has given him unique insight invaluable to Gracon. With more than 20 years with Gracon, Michael is largely responsible for our exemplary reputation in the hydroelectric industry. His knowledge and experience is instrumental in recognizing and solving problems before they adversely impact a project.
Gerald E. Granahan
Vice President Estimating
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Gerry has been responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars of work acquisition. For more than 30 years, Gerry has led Gracon’s estimating program. He and his team of estimators have prepared hundreds of bids, have consulted on numerous projects for constructability during design, and have been largely responsible for the success of Gracon. Gerry graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in construction engineering.
Matthew Hannah
Vice President
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Matt joined Gracon in 2009 as a Project Manager and took over managing the Work Acquisition for Gracon in 2016. He currently wears many hats. In addition to Work Acquisition, he is responsible for Recruiting and Development, Marketing and Communications, Licensing and Compliance, and IT Systems and Equipment. He works across the organization helping to grow the various business units and is instrumental in shaping the culture at Gracon. Matt graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Construction Management.
Jason Eng
Vice President Food & Beverage
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Raised in Balsam Lake, WI, Jason graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stout with a BS in Construction Management and a Minor in Business Administration. Jason has worked on projects ranging in total value from $2 million to $4 billion in various markets, including feed, food, grain, coal, cement, flour, oil and gas, and pet food. He creates exceptional teams through clear expectations, open communication, and confidence in their skills and expertise.
Richard Morgan
Vice President Food & Beverage
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Richard is from Sioux City, IA, and graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. Richard’s career started on a fast path, and he went straight to a project manager role running a 26,000 SF freezer project in Iowa. From there, his career took off with an impressive and extensive resume of projects nationwide working with the top food processing companies in the country.
Tim Williams
Vice President Food & Beverage
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Tim is a native of Iowa and grew up on a farm. He has a BS in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University. His food manufacturing and processing experience began with a single serving coffee project in Pennsylvania. That was the first step in what would be several successful years in factory and processing facilities including being a project manager for a bakery, design lead converting a plant over to a different type of packaging, and an onsite project manager for a new product launch coordinating factory acceptance tests in Germany and the Netherlands.
Board of Advisors
Derek Dykstra and six others serve on Gracon’s Board of Advisors.
Scott Lynn
Scott Lynn previously served as President and CEO of two large heavy civil construction companies, for more than 30 years, leading each to achieve significant growth during his tenure. Scott brought his growth-oriented perspective, vision, and leadership to Gracon. He now serves on the Board of Advisors. Scott received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University, a Master’s Degree in engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado.
George Matelich
George is Managing Director and Investment Partner of Kelso & Company. He joined Kelso in 1985 and is a Senior Advisory Partner and Managing Director. He has served as a director of more than 20 former Kelso affiliated companies and as lead director of two public companies. George earned an M.B.A. from the Stanford GSB in 1982 and a B.A. in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Puget Sound in 1978. He was a C.P.A. and holds a C.M.A.
Kelsey Lynn Skinner
Kelsey Lynn Skinner is an experienced venture capital investor focused on the technology sector and is a US/UK dual citizen. She spent a decade in Silicon Valley and emphasizes a global perspective. Kelsey graduated in Mechanical Engineering, with an MBA from Stanford where she played fullback for the national champion women’s rugby team. In 2018, she was recognized by the Sunday Times as a top 5 “Private Company Board Director” and by Investment Week as “Investment Woman of the Year” for her work creating value in growth companies and for championing diversity in the technology and entrepreneurship sectors.
F. Dave Zanetell
Dave Zanetell is the President of Kraemer North America, a top-ranked national heavy civil contractor. He is responsible for overall leadership and success at the company, which serves transportation, rail, and marine markets, with regional offices in five states. Mr. Zanetell has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Shaun Yancey
Shaun served as President and COO of PCL Construction, overseeing all commercial and civil operations in the U.S. During his time with PCL, Shaun advanced the company’s virtual construction program, integrated a sustainable mindset, and spearheaded a diversity inclusion initiative. Some notable projects he contributed to were Denver International Airport and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Committed to community improvement, Shaun has held board positions with several organizations including Mile High United Way, They Tennyson Center for Children, and the Design-Build Institute of America.
Scott Dahlgren
Scott established Dahlgren Industrial in 2001 and served as President for many years. Scott has been very successful at developing teams and facilitating their focus on customer goals and objectives. His proven ability to guide teams comprised of associates, designers, and owners to achieve exceptional results has earned him an industry wide reputation. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in building construction.