Suffolk Downs, which recently underwent a change in ownership, announced Aug. 15 that Bill Mulrow is the new chairman of the board of directors, and Chip Tuttle and John Rizzo have been named chief operating officer and chief financial officer, respectively.
In addition, Joe Fatalo has been promoted to vice president of operations, while Christian Teja has been named vice president of marketing and communications.
“At Suffolk Downs, we have ambitious plans to revitalize Thoroughbred racing in Massachusetts and to provide the best possible entertainment for our fans,” Richard Fields, who acquired a significant ownership interest in the East Boston track, said in a statement. “To accomplish these goals, we assembled a world-class leadership team.”
According to a release, Mulrow’s experience includes government service, extensive work in the financial sector, and numerous philanthropic activities and board appointments. A graduate of Yale University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar finalist, and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Mulrow is a principal in Excelsior Racing Associates, a group bidding to assume control of the New York Thoroughbred racing franchise.
A 25-year veteran of Wall Street, Mulrow has acted as an investment banker for numerous municipalities across the globe. Mulrow has also served as director of the Federal Home Loan Bank in New York City, director of the Municipal Assistance Corp., and director of the United Nations Development Corp., and is a former candidate for State Comptroller in New York. He succeeds Patricia Moseley, who had been chairperson since 1998.
“Thoroughbred racing has a rich history at Suffolk Downs and our goals are to make the sport of kings relevant to a new generation of fans and to cultivate a world-class entertainment experience for everyone who walks through our doors,” Mulrow said. “I am proud to be part of the new leadership team and am eager to help guide us toward accomplishing these goals.”
Tuttle returns to Suffolk Downs after having previously held the position of director of marketing and communications from 1992-97. With more than 15 years of experience in the racing industry, he currently serves as a marketing consultant to the Breeders’ Cup.
Tuttle was vice president of communications for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association from 1999-2001 and has remained a consultant to both the NTRA and Breeders’ Cup since then as a partner at Conover Tuttle Pace Advertising and Public Relations in Boston. Tuttle, who grew up in nearby Salem, will continue to serve as chief executive officer at Conover Tuttle Pace, where he has also represented Suffolk Downs as a consultant. Tuttle succeeds longtime track executive Bob O’Malley, who died in February.
“I am very impressed by the new ownership team and, having been involved with racing in Massachusetts for over 15 years, I’m very excited about their commitment to racing at Suffolk Downs,” Tuttle said. “Suffolk Downs has been an integral part of the local sports community since it opened in 1935, and I welcome the opportunity to be a part of building on its great tradition.”
Rizzo becomes chief financial officer after rejoining the Suffolk Downs accounting team as a consultant in 2002. Rizzo, an East Boston native, was controller at Suffolk Downs from 1995-2000. He then held the same position at Boston Acoustics Inc. before becoming a partner at the certified public accounting firm of Costantino Richards Rizzo, LLP of Wakefield, Mass., in 2002. Rizzo will remain a partner in Costantino Richards Rizzo.
Fatalo, originally from East Boston, was most recently the assistant general manager and has been with Suffolk Downs since 1965, when he joined as a mutuel teller. He rose to the position of business manager of the tellers’ labor union before moving to the track’s management team in 1998.
Teja has been the track’s director of public and media relations since 2002, following a six-year stint at ESPN in a number of roles.
Suffolk Downs will offer its marquee event, the Massachusetts Handicap, Sept. 22. Live racing continues through Nov. 10.
