Saddling up
David MacKenzie taking charge of Red Shores operations in P.E.I.
David MacKenzie, who has deep roots in harness racing in P.E.I., is taking the reins at Red Shores in Charlottetown and Summerside.
MacKenzie has been hired as general manager to oversee the race tracks in both cities, food and beverage and the gaming
centre in Charlottetown and a portion of food and beverage operations in Summerside.
He is excited about taking charge of a big operation with roughly 300 employees, adding the race tracks provided a particular pull for him accepting the job.
“My background in horses is primarily the first draw to the position and the second was the fact that the Red Shores operation overall is such an important piece of the provincial fabric,’’ he says.
“The monies that are generated here go back into the province, back into the community services, back into the roads. So, it’s important that it’s treated properly.’’
MacKenzie’s job officially starts Sept. 18, but he will be on hand for this month’s Old Home Week events.
MacKenzie says he will be surrounded by a “fantastic team of professionals’’ as he replaces Michael MacKinnon, who served as Red Shores managing director for about eight years. MacKinnon has taken a position with Atlantic Lottery in Moncton. MacKenzie says he does not have a time frame in mind for his upcoming run with Red Shores.
“I like to look at these things as let’s make a difference, let’s have some fun, let’s make sure we do the best job that we can as a team,’’ he says.
He feels “really fortunate’’ to have enjoyed a diverse career.
He was executive director of the Capital Commission of P.E.I. from 1995 to 2001, CEO of the Confederation Centre of the Arts from 2001 to 2011, deputy minister with the province’s Department of Tourism and Culture from 2011 to 2015 and president of MacKenzie Zver Inc. for two years before having a short stint as regional president of SaltWire Network Inc. in charge of The Guardian and the Journal-Pioneer.