As chief operating officer, Kay, 60, oversaw the operations of the land conservation organization’s headquarters and 37 field offices. Prior to that, he was a consultant to Universal Parks & Resorts, serving as its managing director of international business development and as chief operating officer for Toys 'R' Us, a Fortune 200 international company. He was also a minority owner of Orlando's AA baseball team and a member of the ownership group that sought to obtain the first MLB franchise in Florida.
Kay is a graduate of the University of Missouri and of the Duke University School of Law.
Kay is expected to receive a $300,000 annual salary with performance incentive bonus of up to $250,000.
Kay’s background—retail, theme parks and sports—is what made him stand out as the leading candidate from over 100 considered.
“After a careful search involving many highly qualified candidates, we are delighted to select Chris as our new President and CEO,” said NYRA Chair David J. Skorton. “His wide range of expertise and skills—including experience in the legal, regulatory and corporate governance environments—will serve him extremely well in his new position at NYRA.”
“I’m honored by the confidence expressed in me today by the NYRA Board,” said Kay. “Thoroughbred racing is an important part of the lives of so many—including the hundreds of thousands of fans who have loyally supported us through the years. I will work hard to earn their trust and respect as we embark upon an extremely important chapter of NYRA’s history. Working with the talented professionals at NYRA and its dedicated and experienced Board, I anticipate an exciting and successful future for our sport.”
The NYRA Board retained the services of the executive search firm RSR Partners to assist in the filling of the President and CEO position.