James Buchanan, who has served as president and chief operating officer of Charles Town Races since 1998, was recently named to the newly created position of senior vice president of government and public affairs at the West Virginia track, parent company Penn National Gaming Inc. announced.

John Finamore, who has served as senior vice president of regional operations at Charles Town since 2002, will take over the duties as president and chief operating officer on an interim basis until a successor to Buchanan is named.

In his new position, Buchanan will serve as a liaison between the facility and the state Legislature and will be responsible for community relations, including local contact with business leaders, charities, and civic groups, as well as helping to manage construction and infrastructure related issues.

"Charles Town's rapid growth has been both exciting and fulfilling for me and required a significant personal commitment of time," Buchanan said. "I will miss the excitement of day-to-day operations, but I look forward to focusing my full time and attention to the macro issues that will shape the future of Charles Town."

Kevin DeSanctis, president and chief operating officer of Penn National Gaming, said Finamore has been instrumental in planning and overseeing much of the expansion that has taken place Charles Town in the last few years.

"Given the importance of Charles Town to our operating results and its strong ongoing growth potential, John's ability to assume these responsibilities on an interim basis ensures a seamless transition of responsibilities as he knows the facility, its personnel and its customer base," DeSanctis said.