|
|
NEW NYRA PRESIDENT & CEO THEY SAID IT JUNE 19, 2013 Q: What made this job attractive to you? "There were a number of factors. Number one was the fact we have some of the finest racetracks in America under NYRA. Number two, as you heard today, a tremendous Board. Number three, the locations are fantastic. Saratoga is beautiful and New York City is the best city in the world. And, number four, strong, passionate fans. So when you say 'what do you need going forward?' those are the four fundamental, foundational blocks for great success, so that was very attractive to me." —New NYRA President & CEO Chris Kay Q: Can you talk about your background and/or experience in racing as a fan or otherwise? "I first went to a racetrack (Cahokia Downs, Alorton, Illinois) when I was 19 years old and fell in love with it, and went there every summer, frequently. I loved the experience. Later in life, as an attorney, I was part of a firm that represented people that owned stables in South Carolina and in Kentucky. And, in fact, I also developed a relationship with a friend of mine who owned a couple of horses, actually several very good ones -- Don Dizney -- who was suggesting I become the minority owner in some of those horses, like Wekiva Springs. I instead chose to go the baseball route, hoping we would land a major league team (in Orlando, Florida) with a minor league team. But I have enjoyed the racing experience for decades." —Kay Q: Were there any apprehensions about taking the job? "No. Number one, it's a challenge, and the opportunity to do better, and those are two very important things. I kid you not...this is a world-class Board, and the opportunity to work with them to create new solutions was very attractive. I want to learn from mistakes of the past, but there is so much talent around that table that we can create a future for decades to come for success in horse racing in this state, and that was a very compelling reason for me to express interest in the job." —Kay Q: Any top priorities? "Well, I haven't even started yet, but I think number one, the Board has provided us with a three-year strategic plan, so I'm going to follow that strategic plan, and execute it. And, to summarize that, number one is going to be to enhance the guest experience for our racing fans and to recruit others to become new racing fans. The second is the re-privatization; to work with the kind of people we have at the table and with state government, and the third is just to improve the quality of racing and purses at every racetrack we operate." —Kay Q: The future of casino gaming at New York tracks? "I'm aware of the conversations (in Albany). I do not have a position to express today. I am comforted by the fact that Governor Cuomo has selected a great Board and has expressed an interest in making sure that horse racing is very successful today and for years to come. I look forward to working with this Board and with state government to make sure that happens." —Kay "We looked at three big categories of candidates. Some were people who were extraordinarily experienced directly in Thoroughbred racing. Some were turnaround specialists. Third were people who were very, very talented leaders and managers. At the end of the day, the search committee, number one, unanimously, thought it was very important to have someone with leadership and management experience. I'd like to say that a lot of problems NYRA has experienced in the past have not been because of lack of racing savvy, but because of lack of government savvy. That's my point of view." —Board Chair David J. Skorton on the selection of Chris Kay "Chris was a dream candidate for us because he cared about racing. He loves it. He's been doing it since he was a young person and wants it to succeed, but basically he is a very strong manager and leader from different types of organizations – for profit, not-for-profit, [he's worked in] organizations that had to deal in the governmental sector. We wanted someone who is experienced in making that connection, in the public-private partnership as opposed to the public-private war, and I think we're going to go in the right direction." —Skorton "I've mentioned before the two huge, mega jobs of the new Board: One was to get new leadership and management, and I emphasize both leadership and management. And then secondly, to look toward re-privatization, however long that takes. That's going to take some long-term vision." —Skorton Q: How bonuses will be determined? "We have a balanced score card that we've developed. If you're not familiar with that term, it's a way to assess performance based on some quantitative metrics, like finances and things like that, there's also qualitative metrics. I want to be very public about this: this is not a guaranteed extra $250,000. We made that very clear to Chris during the recruitment process. This is going to be performance-based and I'm a hard grader." —Skorton Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
