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8/24/2026
South Carolina-based Palmetto Railways today announced Tarek “T” Ravenel will serve as the company's new president and CEO, effective Sept. 8. He will succeed Patrick McCrory, who is departing to become chief operating officer of South Carolina Ports.
Ravenel has more than two decades of leadership experience spanning freight rail, logistics, construction, economic development, infrastructure delivery and business operations, Palmetto officials said in a press release.
Most recently, he served as East Region freight-rail market sector leader for HDR, leading strategic rail initiatives for Class Is, short lines, ports, transit agencies, industrial clients and public-sector transportation organizations.
He previously spent nearly a decade with Palmetto as a member of the organization's senior leadership team, director of special projects and project manager. In those roles, he directed Palmetto's capital improvement program and oversaw planning, design, environmental review, permitting, procurement, property acquisition and construction activities.
“T understands our organization, our people and the important role we play in supporting South Carolina’s economy,” said McCrory. “His extensive experience in freight rail and infrastructure, combined with his deep knowledge of Palmetto Railways and the relationships he has built throughout the state, will provide valuable continuity as the organization moves forward.”
A division of the S.C. Department of Commerce, Palmetto Railways is a terminal switching railroad and short line serving the Port of Charleston and multiple industries based in the five-county region of the Lowcountry. Palmetto's lines have direct access to CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway.