It has been announced that noted equine health researcher and Pennsylvania Racing Commissioner Dr. Corrine Sweeney, DVM, is the new Chair of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).
In addition to serving on the commission since 2008, Dr. Sweeney is Associate Dean at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and one of the authors of the 2014 Consensus Statement of the independent American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine entitled ‘Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Horses.’
During her remarks last week at the ARCI annual meeting on equine welfare and racing integrity, Dr. Sweeney stated, “Caring for and advocating for horses and doing research on how to improve the health of horses has been my life’s work. The concept that any of us would support a sport that would be detrimental to the horse dismays me.”
Tom Sage, the Executive Director of the Nebraska State Racing Commission and former Chair of the Organization of Racing Investigators was elected Chair-elect/ Secretary. Commissioner Robert Lopez of the Washington State Horse Racing Commission was named Treasurer. Outgoing Chair Maryland Executive Director Mike Hopkins remains on the Board and Executive Committee.
Elected to the ARCI Board of Directors were: Rick Baedeker, executive director of the California Horse Racing Board, Charles Gardiner, Executive Director of the Louisiana State Racing Commission, Charles Moore, Executive Director of the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission, Edward Menton, Chair of the Mobile County (Alabama) Racing Commission, Marc Guilfoil, Director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Judy Nason, Director of the New Jersey Racing Commission, John Wayne, Director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, Tom Di Pasquale, Executive Director of the Minnesota Racing Commission, Dave Lermond, Director of the Virginia Racing Commission, and Kelly Cathay, Director of the Oklahoma Racing Commission.
Those elected at the meeting will join West Virginia Assistant Attorney General Kelli Talbot, New York Gaming Commission Director Rob Williams, Director Louis Trombetta of the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, and Brent Stone, Director of Regulatory Compliance at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
The ARCI Board also voted unanimously to extend the employment contract of the Association’s President, Ed Martin, for another three years upon expiration this August.
(ARCI)