The Connecticut Lottery Board has appointed Gregory Smith as president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation. Smith is currently acting executive director of the Illinois Lottery and before that headed the Vermont Lottery for four years.
Smith’s appointed is effective July 20. It is the result of a long search that began more than a year ago, and which included interviewing and reviewing 80 candidates, including about a dozen in-person interviews.
During his four years leading the Vermont Lottery, its sales and profits increase by more than 20 percent. During that same period, he served on the finance and executive committee of the Multi-State Lottery Association board. This brought him to the attention of the Illinois Lottery, which asked him to serve as Acting Director. He led the lottery through a management and technology transition and restructured its system. He currently serves on the national board of Mega Millions Group.
In a statement CT Lottery Board Chairman Donald DeFronzo stated, “The Search Committee put a high premium on administrative performance, personal integrity, credibility, communication skill, and throughout the selection process, sought to ensure stability in the operations of the Lottery in the short run, and continued growth and innovation in the future.”
