Public Gaming International July/August Magazine

16 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JULY/AUGUST 2025 Continued on page 36 factor, but honestly, what matters more is leadership continuity and operational stability. When (then-Director) Alva Johnson brought me on as his Chief Deputy, we were both laser-focused on bringing cohesion and long-term structure to the organization. That’s not to knock previous directors—they did what they could under often difficult circumstances—but the fact is, we had something like 24 directors in 38 years. It’s hard to build brand continuity, internal morale, or strategic momentum when the leadership baton changes hands that often. Alva and I were determined to change that. We wanted to build something that would last—an organization that wouldn’t just survive changes at the top but thrive through them. And when Alva left— making him the first director in our history to step down of his own accord—I was honored to be promoted. I’m also the first Chief Deputy ever to make that leap, which gives us a leg up on the mission to establish stability and continuity. How did you start working toward such an ambitious cultural transformation? H. Shergill Chima: From the ground up. First, we had to get the foundation right. That meant documenting and reinforcing policies and procedures. Some were already on the books but weren’t being consistently applied. So we made it clear—policies aren’t just paperwork or a handbook that sits on a shelf. They’re how we align, how we operate, and how we win together. After that, it became all about people. We’re very focused on ensuring every team member knows exactly what our goals are, what their role is, and how to collaborate across departments to achieve shared success. It's easy to assume everyone’s on the same page—but assumptions don’t drive results. We stretch to actively reinforce the mission, every single day, and in every interaction. Let’s talk about mission. Many people assume Lottery funds just disappear into the state’s general fund. That’s a hard thing to rally around emotionally. How have you addressed that? H. Shergill Chima: Exactly. That’s a perception problem we knew we had to tackle. Carolyn Becker, our Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Communications, launched a campaign around a simple, powerful idea: When you play, schools win. But we didn’t want commercials with paid actors. We wanted authenticity. So we reached out to our educational partners and asked them to share their own stories. What are they doing with Lottery funds? How is it making a difference? The response was overwhelming. We heard from educators all over the state on how they used Lottery dollars—funding theater programs at community colleges, ESL books for elementary students, nursing programs, firefighter training academies, and support for underfunded rural schools. Real stories, from real people, doing the work. And that’s what makes the campaign so powerful. It’s the people most affected by the Lottery telling their own stories. We hear directly from instructors—heroes who dedicate their lives to education. We hear from students whose opportunities are brighter because of what we help make possible. Who better to speak to the impact of the California Lottery than the educators and students that the Lottery supports? Ultimately, they remind us why we do this. Their stories re-energize our teams, deepen our sense of purpose, and help translate that inspiration into better performance, stronger alignment, and renewed commitment to our goals. Other lottery directors may want to engage their beneficiaries as vocal supporters, but find that it’s easier said than done. Is there a trick to getting them to speak up and rally around the Lottery? H. Shergill Chima: I don’t know of any tricks, but I think it is very important to engage your beneficiary stakeholders in a knowledgeable way. For us, it started with a study led by Jim Hasegawa, Deputy Director of Business Planning and Research, aimed at understanding how people perceive the Lottery. Do people even know where the money goes? Turns out, most didn’t. What we discovered was eye-opening: the general public and even our own players were largely unaware that Lottery profits are earmarked for public education. That disconnect gave us our starting point. And then educators and other stakeholders began volunteering to tell their own stories. They weren’t just willing—they were excited to spotlight their programs and speak to how Lottery funding helps them make a difference. Some of those stories made it into commercials, and many more came to life through social media, newsletters, and community engagement. It was organic, authentic, and unexpectedly powerful. "We’re not just selling tickets—we’re investing in schools, one game at a time."

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