TGA EXEC DIANE WHITELEY DIES AFTER LENGTHY ILLNESS
Diane Whiteley, former executive director of the Texas Greyhound Association (TGA), passed away on March 16 at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, AZ, after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family was at her side.
AGC spokesman Gary Guccione said that Whiteley was a tremendous asset to greyhound racing in Texas and nationwide, and will be greatly missed.
“For Diane, it was always about the dogs,” said Guccione. “Her commitment to greyhound health, safety and adoption was uncompromising and totally sincere.”
Whiteley’s contribution to greyhound adoption was noted today on the website of the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT), which called her “a true champion for greyhounds” and “a catalyst for change in the greyhound industry who made a large difference in our world of greyhound adoption.”
Diane Whiteley joined the TGA staff in 2004. A CPA by training, she had worked in both greyhound and horse racing, fields that allowed her to combine her business skills with her love for animals. She became a highly effective voice for greyhound racing in the legislative arena as well as in the media, and was frequently quoted in press coverage of greyhound racing issues.
Under her leadership, the TGA became an annual sponsor of the industry’s annual Greyhound Safety and Track Surface Conference. Whiteley organized the program for each conference, handling everything from developing the agenda to recruiting presenters and facilitating discussion among participants. “Keeping our greyhounds safe and sound is our highest priority,” she said at the 2010 conference.
On February 7 this year, the Texas Racing Commission honored Whiteley with a resolution recognizing her extraordinary contributions to greyhound racing and greyhound adoption.
Diane’s family has requested that memorial gifts be sent to the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas, which has established a Diane Whiteley Memorial Fund, or to the Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix.