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Keeneland President Bill Thomason To Retire From Post

Bill Thomason will retire as President and CEO of Keeneland at the the end of 2020
Keeneland.com
Bill Thomason will retire as President and CEO of Keeneland at the the end of 2020

Keeneland has announced a change at the helm with the imminent retirement of President and CEO Bill Thomason. WUKY’s Samantha Lederman has details.

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Bill Thomason will retire as President and CEO of Keeneland at the the end of 2020
Credit Keeneland.com
Bill Thomason will retire as President and CEO of Keeneland at the the end of 2020

Shannon Bishop Arvin has been named by the Keeneland Trustees to succeed Thomason in his role when he steps down at the end of 2020. Thomason navigated Keeneland through a decade of substantial growth and change in the Thoroughbred industry. Keeneland successfully hosted the 2015 Breeders’ Cup which generated a nearly $70 million economic impact for Lexington, and he negotiated the event’s return to Keeneland later this year .

Shannon Bishop Arvin will be the first female President and CEO of Keeneland when she assumes the role in 2021
Credit Keeneland.com
Shannon Bishop Arvin will be the first female President and CEO of Keeneland when she assumes the role in 2021

Thomason had notified the Board last year of his desire to spend more time with his family, and Arvin, as a partner with Stoll Keenan Ogden and corporate counsel to Keeneland since 2008 was well known by all. Since 2015 Arvin had served as Secretary and an Advisory Member of Keeneland’s Board of Directors and her appointment by the Keeneland Trustees was a unanimous decision. Arvin becomes Keeneland’s 8th President and the first woman to serve in the position.

Copyright 2020 WUKY

Listeners might remember Lederman and her English accent from when she was a morning news anchor on WUKY from 1999 to 2001.