53 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2024 NORTH AMERICAN NEWS Frank Suarez, formerly Executive Director of the DC Lottery, appointed President and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) The CT Lottery Corporation Board of Directors voted to appoint Frank Suarez, Executive Director of the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming, as the new permanent President and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC). The appointment of Mr. Suarez takes effect August 1, 2024. The appointment is the culmination of a nationwide search that began eleven months ago, with nearly 300 candidates from across the country having applied for the position. Mr. Suarez was selected for the position, as his strategic vision, dedication to customer-centric solutions, and commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment best aligned with CLC’s core values and vision for the future. Mr. Suarez brings with him a wealth of experience and a strong track record of success in the lottery and gaming industry. With over 10 years of progressive lottery leadership roles, including seven years with the North Carolina Education Lottery as Deputy Executive Director of Brand Management and Communications and, most recently, as Executive Director of the DC Lottery for the past 3 years, he is uniquely qualified to lead CLC into its next phase of growth and innovation. Since 2014, Mr. Suarez has served in leadership roles at two state lotteries, the North Carolina Education Lottery and the DC Lottery. Under his leadership, the DC Lottery saw significant increases in revenue and profitability through innovative strategies and effective management. During his tenure, Mr. Suarez directed a remarkable turnaround in sports betting operations, transforming a loss into profitability in less than a year and establishing the DC Lottery sportsbook as the largest in the District. He also successfully negotiated and led the conversion to a new mobile and online sports betting platform, resulting in an astounding 887% growth in gross gaming revenue within the first 30 days of operation. Mr. Suarez also helped to revitalize iLottery marketing strategies, launch a new mobile app and expand the DC Lottery’s game portfolio. These efforts led to a 168% increase in gross gaming revenue, ensuring long-term growth and profitability for the iLottery segment. Mr. Suarez also currently serves as Vice Chair of Multi-State Lottery Association’s (MUSL) Product Development Committee and Chairman of the MUSL Fast Play Product Group. In addition to his lottery experience, Mr. Suarez also possesses extensive private sector experience in Brand Marketing and Management, which includes strategy, planning, product innovation, and promotion, for several national and global brands. He holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) degree from Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A) degree from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. As CLC welcomes Mr. Suarez to Connecticut, the Board of Directors would like to acknowledge and express gratitude to Greg Smith for his leadership and dedication over the past 6 years. He has been instrumental in steering the Connecticut Lottery to its current position as one of the highest performing lotteries in the country. Sharon Strong named Director of Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Strong joins the Lottery from the Office of Attorney General Tim Griffin where she served as Senior Assistant Attorney General. In this role, Strong supervised a team of special agents and attorneys who investigate and prosecute criminal fraud and abuse. She also played a key role in drafting and supporting legislation to protect vulnerable Arkansans. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Strong served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Pulaski County and Perry County. She was also a Staff Attorney for the Public Service Commission and Disability Rights Arkansas. Strong is a Little Rock native. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy from Southern Methodist University. Strong obtained her law degree fromThe American University, Washington College of Law. Immediately following law school, she served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Frederick County, Maryland, and a Public Defender for the State of Maryland. Idaho Lottery and State Liquor Division Director Jeff Anderson Set to Retire The longest serving Lottery Director in Idaho history has announced his retirement after 17 ½ years of service. Since 2007, under Anderson’s leadership, the Idaho Lottery has returned $938 million to support public education and permanent facilities. During his tenure, Anderson represented Idaho nationally, serving as President of the Multi-State Lottery Association Board of Directors, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries Board of Directors, and Chairman of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) Board of Directors. Anderson has served as the Idaho Lottery’s Director for half of its operational existence. He is one of the longest tenured United States Lottery directors and the longest serving NABCA director. Anderson came to state service after twenty-eight years in broadcasting. His last ten years were as Vice President and General Manager of CBS television affiliates KBOI (Boise) and KIDK (Idaho Falls). INTRALOT successfully transitions British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s lottery system to LotosX Omni ecosystem cloud deployment This achievement signifies a major milestone for INTRALOT in North America, while making BCLC one of the first lotteries in the world to adopt a fully cloud-based lottery system. The system is now “live” with INTRALOT’s nextgeneration lottery terminals deployed in BCLC’s PULSE of the Industry These news stories comprise a very small fraction of the gaming and lottery news stories posted every day to PublicGaming.com. Too, these stories are the highly edited short versions. You can visit our news website PublicGaming.com and access all of its departments for free, including search to read the full version of the articles. Sign up for our free e-newsletter by sending your e-mail address to sjason@publicgaming.com.
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