Eads named permanent executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Jamie Eads, a longtime Kentucky Horse Racing Commission official who has served as its interim executive director for the past six months, has been named permanently to the position, according to the office of Gov. Andy Beshear, which controls personnel appointments to the agency.

Eads, who started at the KHRC in 2008, was elevated to interim executive director in the summer of last year after Marc Guilfoil, the previous director, accepted a job with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Eads had been the deputy executive director under Guilfoil since 2016.

Beshear’s office said the promotion became effective on Dec. 1.

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Eads administered several departments at the racing commission after she arrived at the office 15 years ago, including breed incentive programs and purse development funds.

“Jamie has done a wonderful job in leading a talented team at the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission,” Beshear said, in a statement. “Her 15-year tenure at KHRC has prepared her to lead Kentucky horse racing into the future.”

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Eads began her career in the racing industry with stints at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and Breeders’ Cup.

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