The New York Racing Association has a new board member from Saratoga Springs. As WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports, local officials are praising the appointment.
Georgeanna “Georgie” Nugent Lussier was appointed to serve on the NYRA board in late September, and she says she’s already studying up on the issues facing the organization that oversees thoroughbred racing in New York.
The Saratoga Springs resident says she rode show horses as a kid and fell in love with racing after moving to the Spa City in 2006.
“I kind of say this a little bit tongue-in-cheek, but I moved two furlongs from the Saratoga racetrack and I became a fan by default. You either completely embrace it or you don’t really pay attention to it, which is very difficult to do here in Saratoga.”
The 39-year-old mother was appointed to the CDTA board in 2009 by then-Saratoga Springs supervisor Joanne Yepsen. Now mayor, Yepsen said it’s vital to have somebody on the NYRA board representing the city, where the track is a key economic driver. Lussier will also be the only woman on the board.
“It’s very important to have a woman on the board, since there are none at this point. And it’s very important to continue to look for other women that can serve the sport well and serve Saratoga Springs well,” said Yepsen.
113th District Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner recommended Lussier’s appointment to Assembly Majority Leader Carl Heastie.
“Everyone who has ever worked with her has indicated to me what a terrific leader she is, so I’m very excited about her service in this capacity and I’m looking forward to working with her on the issues that matter to Saratogians about racing.”
Lussier will attend her first board meeting later this month as the first full-time resident of Saratoga Springs since the departure of Charles Wait, Sr. Wait, who left the board earlier this year, began working with NYRA in 1985 and served as co-chair of the Saratoga 150 celebration in 2013.
“And I had the pleasure to meet Georgie this morning, and I think she’s bright and I think she’s enthusiastic, and, in fact, she’s the kind of fan that NYRA is trying to attract,” said Wait.
Among the issues facing NYRA — including racehorse retirement, anti-doping policy, and the impact of increased competition through casino development — many have been vocal about reprivatization of the board. Earlier this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the reprivatization deadline from this month to next year. Facing falling revenues and leadership issues, the board was taken over by the state in October 2012.
Lussier said she’s “absolutely focused” on privatization.
“I really look forward to reviewing the existing plan and having more conversation with the CEO and the rest of the board as to where that is and what we need to do to help push that along. That’s obviously a huge goal of ours and obviously that’s what we were set out to do by Governor Cuomo.”
Lussier’s first board meeting is October 21st in New York City.
