Jen Roytz has been named the new executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project. Her appointment is one of several board additions and staffing changes announced by RRP, which will host its flagship Thoroughbred Makeover show Oct. 4-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park. The organization's founder, Steuart Pittman, has stepped down as executive director, but will remain as board chair. Pittman has entered the political arena, running for county executive in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where his family has lived and farmed for eight generations. Pittman still lives on the family’s 550-acre Dodon Farm, where he oversees an eventing-focused training business. “Nobody in the horse industry is better positioned than Jen Roytz to take what RRP is today, grow it, and present it to a national audience,” Pittman said in a press release. “Jen has served the organization as a board member and she understands the potential it has, not only to secure the futures of thousands of horses every year, but also to grow the fan base for Thoroughbreds both inside and outside racing. Jen’s passion and her professionalism are admired throughout the horse industry, and it is a thrill to have her on board.” Roytz is co-owner of the Lexington, Ky.-based marketing agency Topline Communications and covers topics related to Thoroughbred aftercare and equine health as a freelance writer for a variety of publications. She previously served as marketing director at Three Chimneys Farm and, prior to that, director of public relations for Cornett Integrated Marketing Solutions. She holds board affiliations with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and Make a Wish Foundation and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, U.S. Equestrian Federation, Kentucky Hunter/Jumper Association, Locust Trace Agriscience Center advisory committee, Saddle Up Safely advisory committee and the newly-formed Thoroughbred Women’s Network. As executive director of RRP, Roytz will be responsible for representing the organization in areas including industry relations, institutional partnerships, strategic planning, and fundraising. In addition to the Thoroughbred Makeover, she will be involved in demonstrations and seminars RRP puts on at equine expos throughout the country, promoting the versatility, trainability, and appeal of retired racing Thoroughbreds to a broad-based equestrian audience. “Through his vision and tireless efforts, Steuart has created not just a meaningful organization, but an entire movement with the Retired Racehorse Project and its various initiatives,” Roytz said. “He’s played a major role in changing the conversation surrounding aftercare and the numbers demonstrate that. Independent research has shown that the cost of horses being purchased from the racetrack has steadily increased over the past three to five years, and we have seen that the average price of horses being sold after competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover has steadily risen as well. In 2012, Steuart set out on a simple mission – to increase the value of and demand for Thoroughbreds after racing – and he has done that on a national level. We are all in his debt.” RRP also announced that Carrie Brogden has joined its board of directors. Brogden owns and operates Machmer Hall with her husband, Craig, and is a partner in Select Sales. “Carrie is such a strong addition to our board. She knows the sport horse world but makes her living in the Thoroughbred business and has been a passionate supporter of helping Thoroughbreds transition into second careers her entire life,” Roytz said of Brogden. In the same release announcing Roytz and Brogden's new appointments, RRP also noted that its longtime staff member Kirsten Green was promoted to director of operations last year; that Julia Oughton was hired as the organization’s program developer; and that Leah Bryce joined the staff in late 2017 as program administrator.