In this newly created position, Willie will service the corporate marketing and advertising needs of the Company and its various properties. He will also manage the implementation of a corporate branding project and will work with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) on various industry efforts.
In recent years, Churchill Downs has grown from a race track on Central Avenue in Louisville to the Company that has invested in three other race tracks in the region, owns off-track betting facilities in Kentucky and Indiana, and is developing industry service providers such as Tracknet and EquiSource.
Willie was the chief executive officer for Sheehy & Associates, a position he held at the Louisville advertising agency since September. He was previously a managing partner with Grand/Jacoby Inc. in Chicago.
" Willie's 30-year career also includes key positions with Y&R, Marsteller in Chicago, Brouillard Communications in Pittsburgh, Bozell & Jacobs Inc. in Dallas, and J. Walter Thompson in Chicago. Willie has a master's degree in business administration from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and a bachelor's degree in arts at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Churchill Downs Incorporated, headquartered in Louisville, is one of the world's leading horse racing companies. The Company owns and operates Churchill Downs racetrack, which has conducted Thoroughbred racing since 1875 and is home of America's premier race, the Kentucky Derby. The track will host the Breeders' Cup Championship in 1998 for a record fourth time. The Company also owns and operates Ellis Park Race Course and the Kentucky Horse Center in Kentucky, and Hoosier Park in Indiana, as well as simulcast wagering facilities in Louisville and in Merrillville, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Ind. Churchill Downs trades on the NASDAQ SmallCap market under the symbol CHDN.
