May 1 – Meet Our Speaker Shannon Arvin!

Last year at this time we noted that the week between the close of Keeneland’s spring meet and the rapidly approaching first Saturday in May is magical in Kentucky as thoughts turn to the Kentucky Derby, America’s greatest horse race, run continuously since 1875. This year might require a new adjective, given that when the horses break from the starting gate on that first Saturday in May, it will be the 150th iteration of the Run for the Roses. That, my friends, is staying power!

This week, the Rotary Club of Lexington continues its own long-standing Derby tradition by welcoming to the podium Keeneland Association President and Chief Executive Officer, Shannon Bishop Arvin. She is joined today by Tom Leach, a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for radio coverage of thoroughbred racing.

Arvin is the eighth president of Keeneland Association and the first woman named to the position. She began practicing law in 2002 at the Lexington firm Stoll Keenon Ogden (SKO), where she represented Thoroughbred owners and industry organizations in Kentucky and around the world. As an SKO partner, in 2008, she began serving as corporate counsel to Keeneland, and she has been secretary and advisory member of Keeneland’s board of directors since 2015.

Arvin serves on the board of directors of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Foundation and Stock Yards Bancorp, and is the Chairman of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. She is a trustee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and the Lexington School. She became a member of The Jockey Club in 2019 and a trustee of The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation in 2021.

Tom Leach is the voice of the Kentucky Wildcats for football and basketball and a contributor to Keeneland.com as well. During race meets, check out Keeneland’s YouTube channel for his trainer and jockey interviews ahead of major stakes races and listen for his weekly podcast “In the Money” with Jim Goodman at keenelandselect.com.

Keeneland is unique in the racing industry. It began operations in 1936 and somehow manages to remain true to its motto of “racing as it was meant to be” while at the same time relentlessly pursuing change and improvement for the betterment of the industry, the horses, and the fans. Only at Keeneland are world-class racing and industry-leading sales united under one mission-driven entity. Profits from those endeavors are returned to the industry and the community through initiatives in the areas of racing purses, global market development, safety initiatives and thorough-bred aftercare, fan development and the local community. Keeneland has donated millions to local charities and to health and educational programs.

Welcome, Shannon andTom!