Joi Garner named NYRA general counsel
Joi Garner, a former top executive with the NBA players’ association’s marketing and licensing company, has been hired as the general counsel for the New York Racing Association, the association announced on Wednesday.
Garner, who was an associate general counsel at NYRA from 2016-2018, will begin at her position Oct. 15, NYRA said. She will fill an open position that was most recently held by Joe Lambert, who is retiring. In her previous position at NYRA, she was responsible for commercial and technical contracts, commercial litigation, and sweepstakes and contests. She was also the production counsel for NYRA’s television shows, which have broadened their broadcast reach substantially over the past several years.
Garner was the executive vice president and general counsel for THINK450 for the past three years. The company markets and licenses the collective rights of the members of the National Basketball Players’ Association.
“Joi’s legal and strategic acumen, combined with her depth of experience in the rapidly evolving sports, entertainment and media landscape, align perfectly with NYRA’s priorities,” said David O’Rourke, NYRA’s president and chief executive officer, in a release. “We are thrilled to welcome Joi back to NYRA to help shape the future of the organization. NYRA would also like to thank Joe Lambert for his years of dedicated service, and we wish him the best in retirement.”
Garner is a native of Philadelphia, and she received her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College.