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Raja Jubran

Founder & Chairman

Raja is the Founder, Chairman, and a major stockholder of Denark. As of January 1, 2026, he maintains a broad oversight of the company’s performance. Alongside Frank Rothermel, CEO & President, and Denark’s executive leadership and senior management team, Raja helps ensure that Denark continues to uphold its reputation by delivering on its daily commitments, guided by strong cultural values and a steadfast commitment to Superior Execution.

In 2019, Raja was elected to the Board of Directors of FirstBank (FBK), a publicly-owned company with over $16 billion in assets. He currently serves as Chairperson of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Board’s Compensation Committee and the Credit Risk Committee.
From 2002 until its acquisition in 2017 by FirstBank, Jubran was also a Board Member and Chairman of the Loan Committee of Clayton Bank & Trust, Inc. He was also a member of the Executive Committee and the Trust Committee.

In addition to construction and banking, Raja’s business involvement extends to other companies and investments, including Strategic Acquisitions Group, LLC, a real estate investment company, and Capstone Concepts, LLC., a multi-restaurant-operating company, including First Watch locations across East TN and Gatti’s locations in Knoxville.

In 2018, Jubran completed his full term as a member of the Board of Trustees for The University of Tennessee, serving as Board Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive & Compensation Committee. During his tenure, the Board was able to achieve many successful goals, including revising the business model, enhancing revenue, cutting costs, reducing student fees, increasing reserves, and strengthening accountability and transparency. The efforts culminated in the Board’s full support of the TN Focus Act, introduced and lead by Governor Haslam, which reduced the number of Board Members, gave the Board actual authority over the entire System, and opened the door to recruiting successful business leaders to be appointed as President.

He is past Vice Chair of the UT System Board of Trustees, Board Chair of the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership (2001-2003), Leadership Knoxville Board of Directors (2006-2009), Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) (1996-2000), and the Knoxville Opera Company (1998-1999).

Education

Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, The University of Tennessee

Other Current Community Involvement
  • Tennessee Business Leadership Counsel – Member
  • Leadership Knoxville Class of 1997 – Member
  • Leadership Tennessee Class of 2013 (inaugural class) – Member
  • Nucleus Knoxville – Associate Member
  • Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors – Member
  • The Ramallah Club of Knoxville – Member
  • St. George Creek Orthodox Church in Knoxville – Member 
Past Community Involvement
  • The University of Tennessee Tickle College of Engineering Advisory Board – Emeritus Member
  • The University of Tennessee Chancellors Associates – Member
  • Cherokee Farm Development Corporation Board of Directors – Member
  • BB&T Regional Board of Advisors – Member and Vice Chairman
  • Innovation Valley, Inc. Board of Directors – Member
  • Tennessee Business Partnership Board of Directors (predecessor to the Tennessee Business Leadership Council) – Member and Treasurer
  • Jobs Now! Investors Council Campaign for Economic Development (predecessor to Innovation Valley) – Chairman
  • Great Smoky Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors – Member and Chairman
  • Maryville College National Advisory Council – Member
  • YMCA of Knoxville Board of Directors – Member and Chairman
  • Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation Board of Directors – Member
  • Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) Board of Directors – Member
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Knoxville Board of Directors – Member
  • United Way of Greater Knoxville Board of Directors – Member
  • Knoxville Museum of Art Board of Trustees – Member
  • Clayton Foundation Board of Directors – Member
Honors and Awards
  • 2023 Recipient of the Knoxville Award, from the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service, Inc.
  • 2013 Knoxville Chamber James A. Haslam II Chairman’s Leadership Award
  • 2013 Selected to the inaugural Leadership Tennessee class of 2013
  • 2005 Business Hall of Fame Laureate, Junior Achievement of East Tennessee
  • 2004 Nathan W. Dougherty Award, The University of Tennessee College of Engineering
  • 2002 Named Outstanding Alumnus for the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee
  • 2002 Recipient of the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award, from the National Conference for Community and Justice
  • 2000 Appointed as a Presidential Elector for the State of Tennessee
  • 1997 Selected to the Leadership Knoxville class of 1997 

Delivering Superior Execution

Denark Construction is a full-service general contractor/design-builder/construction manager with over 1 billion dollars in public, institutional, commercial, and industrial contracts since its launch in 1985.

About Us

1635 Western Avenue Knoxville, TN 37921

865-637-1925

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