As the Chief Financial Officer, Jim Gates manages the finances, including financial planning and reporting, for the Authority. His 25-year career in the Thoroughbred industry includes a variety of roles in multiple aspects of the business. As a result, he has in-depth knowledge and experience in track operations and finance, horsemen and customer relations, safety and integrity pursuits, trainer and broodmare farm operations and finance, and regulatory and legislative matters.  

Gates spent 14 years at Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), including seven years as General Manager of Churchill Downs Racetrack and three years as Vice President of Development, during which he oversaw mergers and acquisitions. Subsequent to his time at CDI, Gates spent several years as the CFO/COO of Dale Romans Racing Stable. He has also served on the Boards of Directors of the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium, Racing Officials Accreditation Program, Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory and Thoroughbred Racing Associations.

For the last decade, Gates has performed safety accreditations for the Safety & Integrity Alliance at racetracks around the country, learning and espousing best practices in all areas of equine and human safety. During this time, as a principal of Gates Consulting LLC, Gates also served several clients in finance and business development roles. 

Gates is a CPA with a B.S. from the University of Dayton and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Contact Jim at jim.gates@hisaus.org.