Decker leaves Churchill post

Robert Decker, the executive vice president of Churchill Downs Inc. since 1997, has resigned from the company to look for a chief executive position elsewhere, Decker said Tuesday.

Decker made the decision to resign after Churchill's board renewed the contract of Tom Meeker as chief executive officer at a board meeting in November, Decker said. Meeker, who has been with Churchill since 1984, agreed to stay on at Churchill for an indefinite period of time.

"It became evident that a chief executive position is not going to be open for me any time soon," Decker said. "That's what I was going for, and what I was gearing my entire operation for. I figured it was best to step aside and just let my people move up."

Decker was also the chief financial officer and president of Churchill Downs Simulcast Network, a unit of the company that oversees Churchill's simulcast business.

Decker will be replaced as CFO at Churchill Downs Simulcast Network by Mike Miller, now the network's senior vice president of finance, Churchill said in a release. Karl Schmitt, the network's current chief operating officer, will become president of CDSN.