Northern California owner Keith Pronske has been appointed to the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Tom Bachman.
Pronske, a native of San Francisco, has been in the Thoroughbred business since 1997. Along with his wife, Debbie, he owns a small horse farm in Wilton, Calif., near Sacramento, and has 21 Thoroughbreds consisting of breeding and racing stock.
Pronske is president and CEO of Clean Energy Systems, Inc., a startup energy company, and has spent most of his career developing large energy infrastructure projects. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis and an MBA from San Francisco State University.
“We are happy to welcome Keith to the TOC Board,” said Marsha Naify, chairperson of the TOC. “He has been an active Northern California member for several years and clearly has a willingness to roll up his sleeves and help during these difficult economic times. His perspective as a small owner/breeder will be a valuable asset to the Board.”
“I hope to contribute to finding solutions to the challenges facing our industry right now, and I believe we should start with boosting the fan base to increase revenues, as this drives our business,” said Pronske. “To this end, we must continue to address horse and jockey safety, horse retirement and racing integrity, as these subjects define the image of our industry to the public.”
Bachman left the board to pursue other business interests after serving for 13 years with the TOC, the official organization serving Thoroughbred owners in the state.