Edited press release
Marsha Naify, Jack Liebau, and Alan Marzelli are new members of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association board of directors.
Naify, Liebau, and Marzelli were seated during the NTRA second-quarter board meeting June 7 in Garden City, N.Y.
Naify is the first woman to serve on the NTRA board and is the first female chair of the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, which has an owner/breeder/horseman seat on the NTRA board. Since leaving United Artists Theatre Circuit, where she worked for more than 15 years, Naify has split her time between her real-estate business, civic and philanthropic work, and Thoroughbred racing and breeding interests.
Naify recently replaced Alan Landsburg, who retired, as chair of the TOC.
Liebau, who oversees the operations of Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park, replaces former NTRA chairman Craig Fravel, whose term expired as the Western region, independently-owned-racetrack board representative. Liebau has served as the president of Bay Meadows Racing Association since July 2004 and president of Hollywood Park since September 2005.
Marzelli, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club, replaces Ogden Mills Phipps, who has served on the NTRA board since its inception. In addition to his duties at The Jockey Club, Marzelli was a driving force behind the formation and establishment of Equibase Co., of which he has served as chairman since 1997. He is also chairman of InCompass, a technology solutions company formed by The Jockey Club in 2001 to centralize the software applications and systems that serve North American racetracks and simulcast outlets.
The NTRA board unanimously passed a resolution thanking Phipps for his years of service in support of the organization.
“The NTRA will forever be indebted to Dinny Phipps for his instrumental and tireless service to our organization,” said Alex Waldrop, president and chief executive officer of the NTRA. “We also thank Craig Fravel for the many important contributions he made as the first chairman of the NTRA. We welcome Marsha Naify, Jack Liebau, and Alan Marzelli to the board, and we feel extremely fortunate to have three people with such a rich breadth of experience to help guide us in the years ahead.”
In other action, the board received a report on the 2006 audited financials prepared by Ernst and Young. The complete audit and 2006-07 annual report will be released by the end of June.
NTRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Racetrack representatives
Robert Elliston, Turfway Park (executive chairman of the NTRA)
Robert Evans, Churchill Downs Inc.
Robert Green, Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack
Charles Hayward, New York Racing Association
Jack Liebau, Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park
Jim McAlpine, Magna Entertainment Corp.
Nick Nicholson, Keeneland Association
Owner/breeder/horsemen representatives
Robert Clay, Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Alan Foreman, Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association
G. Watts Humphrey, Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
L. William Heiligbrodt, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association
Alan Marzelli, The Jockey Club
Marsha Naify, Thoroughbred Owners of California
Joe Santanna, National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association
NTRA
Alex Waldrop, NTRA president and chief executive officer
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