Monday, May 3, 2010
Contact: Dan Silver
dsilver@nyrainc.com
NYRA NAMES CHARLES V. WAIT TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ELMONT, N.Y. - The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced today that Charles V. Wait has been appointed by NYRA to its Board of Directors, replacing Lucy Young Hamilton.
Wait, 58, is president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of The Adirondack Trust Company in Saratoga Springs. Mr. Wait also serves as director of the New York Bankers Association and as a member of the Saratoga County Water Authority.
He previously served on the NYRA Board of Directors from 1985 to 2008 and is a past chairman of the Greater Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the New York Bankers Association and the Saratoga Springs City Center convention facility.
Wait has also held positions on the board of Skidmore College, the Empire State College Foundation, the Adirondack Chapter of the American Red Cross, the New York Business Development Corporation and the Yaddo Corporation.
“We are thrilled that Charles will be re-joining the NYRA Board of Directors,” said NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker. “His wealth of experience in both the financial and racing spheres makes him an ideal person for the board.”
Wait replaces Lucy Young Hamilton, who had served on the board since May 2001. Co-owner of Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Ky, she is a trustee for the Breeders’ Cup and a director for the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation, the Markey Cancer Center, and the American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet, among others.
“Lucy was a tremendous asset to the NYRA Board of Directors,” said Duncker. “She served NYRA well for the past nine years, and we are sad to see her leave.”
Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2009, more than 1.6 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races alone totals more than $9.3 million every race day. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com.
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