The engaging WiLL panel discussion, moderated by Rebecca Paul, featured three prominent leaders from the lottery community. They each shared their professional history, their journey to achieving a leadership role in the lottery industry, and advice for the next generation of women leaders.
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Rebecca Paul, President & CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corp.; Founder & Chair of WiLL; Immediate Past-President of the World Lottery Association (WLA)
Michelle Gillcrist, Director, Ohio Lottery
Courtney Arbour, Executive Director of TDLR (Texas Dept. of Licensing and Regulation) and Texas Lottery
Wendy Montgomery, SVP, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability, Brightstar Lottery
]]>
Attendees to the conference were welcomed to attend this session for valuable networking opportunities with peers and colleagues, followed by an engaging panel discussion featuring three prominent leaders from the lottery community, sharing their experiences, insights, and perspectives on leadership, growth, and the future of our industry.
Panel Discussion Participants:
Harjinder Shergill-Chima
Director at California Lottery
Sharon Strong
Executive Director at Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
Moderator
Rebecca Paul
President and CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation
]]>September 11, 2025 | 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Niagara Falls Convention Center – Peller Estates Ballroom D
Come learn more about two of our newest lottery CEOs.
- Sharon Strong, Executive Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery
- Harjinder K. Shergill-Chima, Director of the California Lottery
CO-HOSTED by PGRI, Inc., The Tennessee Lottery, and our Industry-Leading Sponsors
The W Nashville Hotel
Tuesday September 12
3:00 pm WILL (Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership) session
Take Command and Win’ Special Guest Speaker: Captain Gail Harris, United States Navy (Retired)
Bloom Where You’re Planted: Turning a desert experience into an oasis of opportunity. Through hard work fired by courage and persistence- she became the highest ranking African-American female in the U.S. Navy
Captain Harris created the U.S. Navy’s first course on ocean surveillance information systems and taught the Anti-Submarine Warfare and Soviet Surface Operations courses. She was one of the first two women assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence’s War Gaming Team Detachment at the Naval War College, and was chosen to be commander of the Soviet Union’s Theater military forces. Gail coordinated the Defense Department’s Intelligence support for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, headed the Intelligence Department for Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two, in Rota, Spain, with the mission was to support U.S. military and aircraft carrier operations with intelligence reports during the Gulf War.
During her service, between 1992 and 1996, in the Middle East, as the intelligence planner for Commander U.S. Forces Central Command, she also headed the U.S. Navy’s Iraqi Crisis Action Cell and Intelligence Watch Center during crisis operations in the Persian Gulf. At this time, she was also specifically chosen by the director of Naval Intelligence and commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command to fill in as acting naval attache, Egypt, for a five-month period, becoming the first female attache to a Middle Eastern country. For her last assignment, Harris was selected to develop intelligence policy for computer network defense and computer network attack for the Department of Defense.
Upon her retirement from military service, Harris worked for Lockheed Martin as an intelligence subject matter expert, has been a contributing author to books such as Wake Up and Live Your Life With Passion, and Lies and Limericks: Inspirations from Ireland, and is currently finishing her book/memoir War On Any Given Day. And she still makes time to host a weekly R&B radio show
WILL (Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership)
Panel Discussion: Progress in the Empowerment and Advancement of Women in Lottery
WILL (Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership)
Moderator: Rebecca Paul, President & CEO, Tennessee Lottery, President of the World Lottery Association, and Founder and Chair of WILL
Panelists:
Richard Bateson, Chief Commercial Officer, INTRALOT, Inc.
Wendy Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability, IGT
Jennifer Welshons, Chief Marketing Officer, Scientific Games
Jennifer Westbury, Executive Vice President Sales & Customer Development, Pollard Banknote
Photos and videos coming soon
WILL Session (Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership)
Moderator: Rebecca Paul, President and CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation; President of the World Lottery Association (WLA)
Panelists:
Vivian Abdelmessih, Member of the Board of Directors, Scientific Games
With a career in global corporate and investment banking, Ms. Abdelmessih has served on the Boards of First Nations Bank of Canada, The Canadian Business Growth Fund, TD Insurance Company, Greenwood College and Bridgepoint Health Foundation.
Rose Hudson, President & CEO, Louisiana Lottery Corporation
Ms. Hudson serves on the boards of Investar Bank and Holding Company, Woman’s Hospital, the Junior League of Baton Rouge, and is a board member emeritus of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.
Maria Pinelli, Member of the Board of Directors, IGT
Ms. Pinelli serves as a member of the board of directors for Globant and is board director and chair of the audit committee for Archer Aviation, Inc. Prior, she served in a variety of leadership roles at EY (Ernst & Young) from 1986 to 2020, culminating in Global Vice Chair.
Wanda Young Wilson, Member of the Board of Directors of Bally’s. Ms. Wilson also serves as the Chairman of Bally’s Audit Committee and Chairman of the Compliance Committee; has served on several non-profit boards and currently serves on the Board of Advisors at the University of Minnesota Walter Mondale School of Law; and was formerly Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel at the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
The First Regional Meeting of Women in Lotteries female leadership will be held within the framework of the WLA/CIBALE Seminar in which representatives of the WILL Women in Lottery Leadership program will participate. Likewise, the WLA and Cibelae will hold their Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings, respectively.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to deepen your responsible gaming knowledge and network with the best in the industry! Check the program and sign up at responsiblegamingseminar.com.br .
Liderazgo femeninoEn el marco del seminario se celebrará el Primer Encuentro Regional de Mujeres en Loterías, en el que participarán representantes del programa WILL Women in Lottery Leadership.
Asimismo, la WLA y Cibelae celebrarán sus reuniones de Comité Ejecutivo y Junta Directiva, respectivamente.
¡No pierdas esta oportunidad única para profundizar tus conocimientos sobre juego responsable y relacionarte con los mejores en la industria! Consulta el programa e inscríbete en responsiblegamingseminar.com.br.
The Responsible Gaming Seminar “A Transforming Connection” is a WLA/CIBELAE event with the collaboration of CAIXA as host lottery.
Aiming to disseminate knowledge and exchange experiences among the world’s leading state lotteries, the seminar provides inspiration and practical guidance to help lotteries develop their broader Responsible Gaming (RG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs in order to create value for the operator, society, consumers and beyond.
Promoting responsible gaming, discussing strategies, proposing best practices to prevent problematic gaming and reflecting the importance of this issue in the industry are also the purpose of this meeting that brings together responsible gaming experts, lottery leaders and industry professionals to share not only knowledge and experience, but also to discuss the latest issues related to the topic.
Within the framework of the seminar, the First Regional Meeting of Women in Lotteries will also be held with the participation of representatives of the WILL Women in Lottery Leadership program.
The seminar will be simultaneously interpreted in Spanish, Portuguese and English.
The Windsor Barra Hotel, located in the beautiful Barra da Tijuca beach, will be the venue to share this enriching experience.
]]>Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023
Every year the 8th March marks International Women’s Day. The important role and recognition of women in the lottery sector as well as gender equality in the workplace are crucial for the advancement of society and ensuring fairness and inclusion of all. As a commitment to society is one of our core values, EL and its Members work to continue to empower women and recognise their important societal role.
For the first time ever, EL’s recent 2021 report considered sustainability topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and found that out of full-time employees, women represented 50 percent. Together we can actively contribute to finally closing the gender gap and making the world a fairer and more equal place.
EL’s Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WiLL) Mentoring Programme
EL is proud of its WiLL Mentoring Programme which is designed for female leaders in the lottery sector who want to realise their fullest potential. With a focus on skill and knowledge development, the Programme aims to create new opportunities for junior and mid-level women in the EL Membership, as either a mentee or mentor. The mission is to drive high-performance business growth through supporting the advancement of women into top positions of lottery management, leadership and responsibility. The 2022-2023 WiLL Mentoring Programme in Europe was officially launched during a successful kick-off webinar and takes place with Mentors and Mentees over a six-month period. Further information is available here.
Today we hear from inspiring women in the lottery sector as we gear up for the launch of a dedicated module for the WiLL Programme on the EL e-learning Platform.
In the words of Stéphane Pallez, EL 1st Vice-President, Chairwoman & CEO of La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and champion of the Programme in Europe: ”WiLL continues to grow, creating a path for talented and passionate women. Both mentors and mentees will benefit from this experience and contribute to build an environment that not only accepts diversity, but also celebrates and promotes it.”
Romana Girandon, EL 2nd Vice-President, President & CEO of Loterija Slovenije d.d. adds: ”12 years ago, when I was going to sign an important international contract in Helsinki, I was the only woman signing the contract out of 30 or 40 men. And I was not even the lottery president at that time, I was only authorised to sign by my male boss. Since then, when I’m looking around myself in the lottery industry, I think things have changed a lot. More and more of us are in the most responsible and most influential positions. And there’s also a network of women colleagues as well and the programmes like WiLL. It’s important that we continue to do what we’re doing, like promoting best practices, establishing programmes like this one (WiLL), inventing new initiatives to voluntarily join on a European level, and encourage members to join us.”
And, Elisabeth Römer-Russwurm, Managing Director Lottery Business, Austrian Lotteries and Mentor of the 2022-2023 WiLL programme gives the following advice:”Believe in yourself, set high goals and pursue them consistently. Take all the support you can you get and learn to delegate as early as possible in both your professional and your personal life. I think the leaders of the future must be open to diversity and see the opportunities in it. The leaders must be more like a coach, on the side of the employees, and encourage them to work independently. This applies to both men and women. Leaders must be newly oriented in this fast-changing world we are working in. ”
Lucy Lenaers-Mathieson
Communications Officer
THE EUROPEAN LOTTERIES
Avenue des Nerviens 9-31, 1040 Brussels (B)
M +32 470 847 573
]]>CO-HOSTED by PGRI, Inc. and The Florida Lottery
The Confidante Hyatt Hotel Miami Beach, FL
March 28, 29, 30, 2023
Government Lottery Registration click here – complimentary INCLUDED in the WILL SESSION
Early Bird Vendor Registration – Click here
Theme: Normalization of Gambling, Betting, and Lottery
How do we carve out the most relevant role for State Lotteries in this new consumer market-place of gambling as a socially acceptable consumer product/recreational activity?
Government Lottery Registration click here – complimentary
]]>Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership Reception was held on October 18, 2022 during the World Lottery Summit in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Rebecca Paul, President and CEO of the Tennessee Lottery and President of the World Lottery Association and Chairwoman of WILL, presided over the event and called upon the Regional representatives around the world to update us on the regional mentorship programs around the world they are developing.
Regional updates were provided by Stephane Pelez, CEO of FDJ, who organizes the European Region of WILL, Sue Van DeMerwe, CEO of The Lottery Corporation, Australia, who organizes the Asia and Pacific Region, Rebecca Paul and May Scheve who organize the North American Region of WILL, and Esmeralda Britton González CEO President of the Board of Directors Junta de Protección Social, Costa Rica who has just been appointed by Rebecca Paul is going to organize the Central and South American Region.
To learn more about the program visit Womeninlotteryleadership.com
To become a MENTEE or MENTOR please fill out the form and email it to [email protected] and
Please see the links to the MENTEE form DOWNLOAD MENTEE FORM HERE print it out and email please
MENTOR form DOWNLOAD NEW MENTOR FORM HERE print it out and email please
Save the form to your computer desktop under your name and please Email your form to [email protected].
]]>
Public Gaming Research Institute
PGRI Lottery Expo NYC 2022
August 30, 31 and September 1, 2022
Sheraton Times Square
811 7th Avenue (at 53rd Street), New York City
PGRI Lottery Expo NYC 2022 is off to a great start and will be another big step forward for PGRI conference sponsors. Attendance at our last event, Smart-Tech Miami in April, set a new record, and we hope to surpass that at Lottery Expo NYC. The agenda includes three cocktail receptions and great lunches that provide lots of networking time, and a program that promises to be more exciting than ever. In addition to all the bennies listed below, and along with a fabulous conference experience and stage time in front of an audience of lottery execs, the value we deliver to you includes recognition and exposure for the invaluable role you play in supporting this industry and our lottery guests.
Lottery Expo NYC will be a refreshed, updated conference event. PGRI is partnering with the leaders of the industry to set the highest standard for delivering a uniquely great program and overall conference experience.
Includes Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership Session as well as the
2022 Class of the LOTTERY INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION Ceremony
Click here for Complimentary Government/Lottery Registration
Click here for Early Bird VENDOR Registration
======================
SMART-TECH MIAMI ReCap
Thank you for coming to Smart-Tech Miami!
A fabulous time was had by all. We especially appreciate the talent and efforts of presenters, moderators, and panelists who produced such an impactful show.
PGRI Smart-Tech Miami Program
And Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL)
Converting Momentum
and Execution into Results
Join 225+ of your industry-leading colleagues from 45 different states and provinces for …
PGRI Smart-Tech Miami, April 19 to 21, 2022
Co-Host Florida Lottery The Eden Roc Hotel Miami
Sponsored by Industry Leaders …
- Double-Platinum Sponsors: IGT, INTRALOT, Scientific Games
- Platinum Sponsors: Abacus Solutions, Carmanah Signs, EQL Games, Inspired Entertainment, Instant Win Games (IWG), Jackpocket, JUMBO Interactive, Pollard Banknote,
- Gold Sponsors: Gameology, Sightline Payments
APRIL 19 TUESDAY:
- Noon Tuesday to 6pm Thursday: Registration and Information Desk open on the Ocean Tower 1st floor ERCI Ballroom Foyer
- 5:00 to 7:00 pm: Opening Night Reception in the Eden Roc Ocean Garden at Pool 3
APRIL 20 WEDNESDAY:
- 7:30 to 8:30 am. Continental Breakfast in Ballroom I Foyer, Ocean Tower
- 8:30 am. Paul Jason, PGRI, opens the conference sessions in Ballroom I
- 8:40 am. Welcome speech: John Davis, Secretary, Florida Lottery, and Co-Host of Smart-Tech Miami
Keynote Speeches:
- Endlessly Innovating, Always Evolving: Playing for Good
Pat McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Games
- Infinite Innovation to Drive the Instant Ticket Business
Keith Cash, V.P & General Manager Instant Products & Services, IGT
- Retail Transformation in the New World
Rebecca Swindle, Vice President, Strategy, INTRALOT, Inc.
- Invitation to the World Lottery Summit Vancouver
Lynne Roiter, Secretary General of the World Lottery Association, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer, Loto-Québec
9:45 am Coffee Break
- The Evolution of eInstants and What’s Next
Jason Lisiecki, Vice President North America, Instant Win Gaming (IWG)
- In-Lane and So Much More
Mike Purcell, Lottery Consultant, Abacus Solutions
- It’s all about the Player
Richard Bateson, Chief Commercial Officer, JUMBO Interactive
- Who Could Have Known?
Charlie Scannella, Vice President, SGEP Sales, Scientific Games
11:00 am. Roundtable Discussion:
Competition within the Games-of-Chance Industry
Sports-betting and casinos are now ubiquitous; and online casino-style iGaming is not far behind. How is the consumer responding to this explosion of games-of-chance options and POS access-points? Is the expansion of consumer options expanding the market and bringing in more recreational gamers? Or are players now spreading a similar spend across more and more gaming categories, migrating from lottery to sports betting to casinos and hopefully back to lottery? How do we make sure the players migrate back to lottery after trying other options? And how might we take the offensive by attracting players who begin in other categories to move over to Lottery?
Moderator: Drew Svitko, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Lottery
Derek Levesque, Director of Product Management & Business Development, IGT
Lynne Roiter, Secretary General of the World Lottery Association, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer, Loto–Québec
Matt Strawn, Chief Executive Officer, Iowa Lottery
Lorne Weil, Executive Chairman, Inspired Entertainment
- Virtual Sports- Driver of growth and expansion of player demographics for the lottery industry
Brooks Pierce, President & Chief Operating Officer, Inspired Entertainment
- Ensuring Integrity Through Compliance
Peter Sullivan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Jackpocket
12:30 to 1:30 pm: Luncheon Ballroom Foyer
- Partnering for Success
Matt Isaac, Director Retail Development, Pollard Banknote
- Digital Retail Success Tour
Jon-Paul Bussoli, Vice President Product Development, Carmanah Signs
- Omnichannel or Obsolescence: How Do We Evolve the Player Experience?
Jennifer Seymour, Vice President Lottery Product Management, IGT
Wednesday 2:15 pm. Roundtable Discussion: Retail Modernization
How have the manner and methods of servicing and supporting the retailer changed over the last two years, which of those changes are permanent, and how will they change over the next two years? In-lane sales; Application of full-featured API’s; Innovation in Inventory Management, POS’s, self-serve kiosks, and non-traditional channels. How is “digitization of the in-store shopping experience” adding value for the consumer and the retailer?
Moderator: Gary Grief, Executive Director, Texas Lottery
Michelle Carney, Vice President Global Lottery Marketing, IGT
Maxwell Goldstein, Vice President Sales – Americas, Carmanah Signs
Michael Martin, Vice President, Retail Solutions, Scientific Games
John McCormack, Vice President, Operations, Intralot, Inc.
Ryan Mindell, Lottery Operations Director, Texas Lottery
Terry Presta, Head of Business – North America, Abacus Solutions
3:15 PM: Coffee Break
- Operational Process Transformation – for the Future
John McCormack, Vice President, Operations, INTRALOT, Inc.
- Draw Games: The Next Big Lottery Category
Brad Cummings, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, EQL Games
3:45 pm. Roundtable Discussion:
Optimizing the value of Brand Lottery, of the branded games we offer, and the branded mission of service to society
Building the games, brand messaging, and promotional strategies that integrate our values into the game-playing experience … Emphasizing Fun, Entertainment, Community, and Social Responsibility more than Gambling. How might Brand Lottery further differentiate itself and its brand from other games-of-chance categories and operators? How are game portfolios, product mixes, and promotional strategies different from two years ago and what will they look like two years from now?
Moderator: Gregg Edgar, Executive Director, Arizona Lottery
Chair of the MUSL Marketing & Promotion Committee
Brad Cummings, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, EQL Games
Stephen Durrell, Executive Director, Kansas Lottery
Ryan Mindell, Lottery Operations Director, Texas Lottery
Brian Rockey, Executive Director, Nebraska Lottery
4:45: Lottery Industry Lifetime Achievement Award: Sue Dooley
Director of Draws & Productions, Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL)
5:00-7:00 pm: Reception, Eden Roc Ocean Garden at Pool 3
APRIL 21 THURSDAY:
— 7:30 to 8:30 am. Continental Breakfast in Ballroom I Foyer, Ocean Tower
— 8:30 am. Paul Jason, PGRI, opens the conference sessions in Ballroom II
8:35 Roundtable Discussion: iLottery/Digital Lottery Roundtable
A fresh take on digital lottery and the issues that matter most to you when it comes to connecting with your players. How can Lottery’s digital platform be used to enhance the Retail-Playing Experience? What are the most forward-leaning strategies to promote omni-channel play with an emphasis on driving continued retail player-ship and growth? Should we expect some of the increase in online spend over the last two years to migrate back to retail? Is it better to provide retailers with games that are differentiated from online games, or to enable players to play the same games across multiple channels?
Moderator: Rob Wesley, Director of Digital, Virginia Lottery
Adam Barry, General Manager, North America, JUMBO Interactive
Shannon DeHaven, Vice President of Digital Engagement, Pollard Banknote
Stephanie Weyant Fidler, Deputy Executive Director, Marketing & Product Development Pennsylvania Lottery
Steve Hickson, Vice President Game Development, Scientific Games
Rhydian Fisher, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Instant Win Gaming (IWG)
Peter Sullivan, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Jackpocket
- Understanding iLottery Spend at Retail: An Early Analysis
Andrew Crowe, Senior Vice President Business Development, Sightline Payments
- Reinvigorate and Innovate!
Rick Perrone, President & Chief Executive Officer, Gameology ®
10:00 am. Coffee Break
Thursday 10:15 am. Roundtable: Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL)
Moderator: Rebecca Paul, President & CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation; President of the World Lottery Association (WLA), and Founder of Womens Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL)
Panelists:
Gregg Edgar, Executive Director, Arizona Lottery, Chair of Marketing & Promotion Committee, MUSL
Armando Perez Cruz, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Lottery, Chair of Development Committee, MUSL
May Scheve Reardon, Executive Director, Missouri Lottery, Chair of Powerball Group
Drew Svitko, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Lottery, Vice-Chair of Powerball
Sarah Taylor, Executive Director, Hoosier Lottery; President of MUSL
Bret Toyne, Executive Director, MUSL
- Luncheon 12:00 am. to 1:30 pm in the Ballroom Foyer
- 1:30 to 3:30 pm. Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL) Ballroom I
Rebecca Paul, Founder of WILL: WILL is becoming a tradition for the second afternoon of the PGRI conferences. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate. We do try to engage the audience participation with Q & A and fun and enlightening small group sessions. This WILL Seminar will feature two Roundtables …
- Roundtable Discussion:
Meet the new (or somewhat “new”) Directors
Kelly Gee, Acting Executive Director, Virginia Lottery
Mary Harville, President & CEO, Kentucky Lottery Corporation
- Roundtable Discussion:
The Multi-Tasking Life of a Career Woman and Working Mother
Moderator: Rebecca Paul, President & CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corp; President of the World Lottery Association (WLA), and Founder of Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL)
Panelists:
Michelle Carney, Vice President Global Lottery Marketing, IGT
Jeanna King, Vice President Creative & Events, Scientific Games
May Scheve Reardon, Executive Director, Missouri Lottery, Chair of Powerball Group
Melinda Toyne, Chief Executive Officer, In Any Event
- 4:00 to 6:00 pm Reception in the Ballroom I
SMART-Tech Miami 2022 April 19-21
with our Co-Host The Florida Lottery
2022: Converting Momentum
and Execution into Results
In-Person Conference to be held at the fabulous Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach
April 19 TUESDAY, 5-7 pm: Opening Night Reception Ocean Garden
April 20 WEDNESDAY: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm: Eden Roc Ballroom II –Breakfast, Luncheon, Conference Sessions, Presentations and Roundtable Discussions
5:00 to 7:00 pm: Evening Reception Ocean Garden
April 21 THURSDAY 8:30 am to 12:30 pm: Eden Roc Ballroom II – Breakfast, Conference Sessions, Presentations and Roundtable Discussions
12:30PM Luncheon
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership (WILL)
4:30 to 6:00 pm: Evening Reception Ocean Garden
2022: Converting Momentum and Execution into Results –
How are the success-drivers of today different from two years ago, and what will they look like two years from now?
Preliminary Agenda of Roundtable Discussion and Presentation topics – see below
For questions and more information [email protected]
Phone 425-449-3000
DOUBLE PLATINUM
Leaders
PLATINUM Leaders
GOLD Leaders
