Former newspaper columnist, sports writer and television writer/producer David Israel was appointed to the California Horse Racing Board in 2008 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and elected chairman by the commissioners in February 2013, replacing Keith Brackpool. He stepped down later that year and was succeeded by Chuck Winner.

Born March 17, 1951, Israel graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1973. The New York City native wrote for the Chicago Daily News, the Washington Star and the Chicago Tribune, where he was a syndicated columnist from 1975 to 1981. He left the Tribune to write a column for the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner before leaving the business.

Israel served as director in the office of the President for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee in 1984 under Peter V. Ueberroth.

He began work in the television industry in the 1980s, writing and producing shows,  including: “Tremors: The Series,” “Midnight Caller” and “The Untouchables,” “A Comedy Salute to Baseball Starring Billy Crystal” and “Bay City Blues.” He is also listed as executive producer of “The Port Chicago Mutiny,” “Pandora's Clock,” “House of Frankenstein” and “Y2K.”

As of September 2013, IMDB.com mistakenly combined Israel’s Hollywood credits with another writer/producer named David Israel.

In 2000, Israel was hired as coordinating producer by Don Ohlmeyer, as he retooled ABC's Monday Night Football. They hired comedian Dennis Miller to join Al Michaels and Dan Fouts in the broadcast booth, a move that was deemed a failure by most observers.

Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Israel to the California Science Center board of directors in 2004. The next year, the governor put him on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. Israel became commission president in January 2011 and resigned 16 months later after being instrumental in transferring control of the taxpayer-owner Coliseum to the University of Southern California. His tenure was marked by a series of scandals and controversy over the stadium lease deal that provided fodder for more than 100 stories in the Los Angeles Times.

President of L.A. Coliseum Commission Resigns Abruptly (by Paul Pringle and Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times)

Embattled L.A. Coliseum President Resigns (City News Service)