Executive Director

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) Board of Directors announced the appointment of Kelly Armer as Executive Director following the forthcoming retirement of Pat Stickney. Assuming her new role Mar. 1, she will be based in the TRF administrative offices in Saratoga Springs, New York. Kelly Armer served 24 years at the Saratoga YMCA where she served as COO for 15 years.  More recently, she held the position of Development and Foundation Director for Saratoga Bridges, the largest nonprofit organization in New York State serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities...

Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed Jamie Eads--who served as interim executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) for the past six months--the executive director of the KHRC, effective Dec. 1. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with dual degrees in marketing and management, Eads worked for both the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and the Breeders' Cup LLC. She has been with the KHRC since 2008, when she joined the organization as the director of the Division of Incentives and Development. She then moved into the deputy...

Amplify Horse Racing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to education, mentorship and career opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry for youth and young adults, has announced the appointment of Annise Montplaisir as executive director. Guided by a goal to develop a platform for youth in horse racing, Montplaisir co-founded Amplify with Madison Scott in 2019, and has served as the organization's president since its incorporation in 2020. Scott remains on the board of directors alongside Price Bell, Jordyn Egan, Hallie Hardy, Laurel Humbert-Stock, Katie LaMonica, and Cate Masterson. Originally from Fargo, North...

Dr. Michael Hardy has been hired as its next Executive Director of the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium. In his new role, Dr. Hardy will be responsible for the management of the RMTC's Laboratory Accreditation and External Quality Assurance Program in conjunction with the new Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit. He will also be charged with the administration of the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee process, the monitoring of emerging threats to the integrity of racing and the health and welfare of racehorses, administrative oversight of RMTC-funded research projects, and coordinating...

Anna Seitz and Evan Ferraro, both long associated with Fasig-Tipton, have been promoted within the company and will assume new roles. Seitz, most recently the Client Development and Public Relations Manager, has been promoted to Director of Client Relations. Ferraro, who most recently served as Recruiting and Marketing Manager and was previously a Sales and Recruiting Associate, has been promoted to the Director of Marketing. "Anna and Evan are both exceptional members of the Fasig-Tipton organization," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. "Not only are they very talented individuals with tremendous...

Kirsten Green, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP)'s managing director who served as interim executive director following the departure of Jen Roytz near the end of last year, has been named the new executive director of the organization. A national search by a hiring committee comprised of board members was conducted only to turn to Green, who is the RRP's longest-serving staff member. "The hiring process made us hopeful for the future of Thoroughbred aftercare based on the quality of applicants who applied and their passion for the mission," said RRP...

Anne Sabatino Hardy, Visit Horse Country's first Executive Director, will be leaving that organization to transition to new opportunities in early 2022. Hardy will remain through the transition as the board of Horse Country searches for a new Executive Director. "The equine industry is vital to the tourism infrastructure of Lexington and Central Kentucky tourism," said Gathan Borden, Vice President of VisitLEX and Visit Horse Country Board Chair. "[Hardy] has been a tremendous asset in helping develop and grow Horse Country to where it is today. As we embark on...

Industry veteran Andy Belfiore, who has honed her skills on both the backside and on executive teams, has been named the new Executive Director of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association (FHBPA). For the last two years, Belfiore has been the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's Project Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities. The Massachusetts native spent the four years prior to that as Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. "The FHBPA board members as well as myself are delighted that Andy accepted our...

Steve May of Georgetown, Kentucky, has been appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the next executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission. May will assume his new duties in late April, succeeding Tom DiPasquale, who retired in February after serving as director since 2013. "Steve May has had broad background in racing and pari-mutuel operations and is well suited by education and experience to lead the fine commission staff assembled here in Minnesota by his predecessor," said Minnesota Racing Commission chairman Jim Lane. May is the Director of Pari-Mutuel...