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Courtesy NYRA
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) board of directors has unanimously appointed David O’Rourke as NYRA CEO and president.
O’Rourke had been serving as interim CEO since Jan. 23 following the resignation of Chris Kay.
“David has made significant and lasting contributions to NYRA since he joined the organization more than a decade ago,” said NYRA board chairman Michael Del Giudice. “He possesses broad expertise in nearly every facet of the industry, enjoys deep respect among his NYRA colleagues and industry peers, and understands how the sport and the business will continue to evolve in the future. His combination of skills and obvious leadership ability made this an easy choice and we congratulate David on this appointment.”
O’Rourke, 45, first joined NYRA as director of financial planning in 2008 before becoming vice president for corporate development in 2010. In 2013, he was appointed chief revenue officer and senior vice president. In that role, O’Rourke was responsible for NYRA’s business development strategies across a range of disciplines including industry relations, simulcast markets and contracts, television strategy, advance deposit wagering (ADW) operations, and capital projects.