12 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 THE CLOSING OF ONE CHAPTER AND THE OPENING OF ANOTHER IN A STORIED LOTTERY CAREER Rebecca Paul President & CEO, Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation President, World Lottery Association Founder & Chair, Women’s Initiative in Lottery Leadership Paul Jason: October’s World Lottery Summit in Paris must be a bittersweet moment. What are you most proud of about your leadership of the World Lottery Association during the past six years? Rebecca Paul: WLS 2024 has incredible meaning for me for so many reasons. Not only is the event itself a juggernaut of in-depth activity, but it’s a chance to dialog with leading experts and colleagues from around the world and connect global trends at the heart of our industry’s success. Serving as president of an organization that represents 81 countries has truly been an honor, and I’m proud to have served in this role. We’ve seen dramatic challenges during these past six years, and I have so many to thank for helping us work through them successfully. I’m especially pleased about several accomplishments that have been achieved, which PGRI Introduction: Rebecca Paul’s career in our industry spans nearly 40 years, and her footprint is seen throughout the world. Her career began with her appointment to lead the Illinois Lottery in 1985. She went on to found and serve as the chief executive of the Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee lotteries and is the current president and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. In the Volunteer State, she has led the charge for more than 20 years and raised over $7.5 billion for education initiatives such as college scholarships and after-school programs. She has also served as president and/or chair of all offices of NASPL and MUSL and as president of A.I.L.E., and is the founder of Women in Lottery Leadership (WILL). But it’s Rebecca’s nearly six-year stint as president of the World Lottery Association that we’ll focus on in this interview, as that tenure comes to a close following the WLA’s World Lottery Summit in October of this year. What we know already, without even holding a Q & A, is that regardless of her official role, this born leader will forever be engaged with the industry for which she has relentless passion. That said, let’s find out a little more: PGRI INTERVIEWS Rebecca connecting the lottery with the community and the people in Georgia. Rebecca moderating CEO discussion with panelists Gretchen Corbin, David Barden, Sarah Taylor at WLA/EL Marketing Seminar in London.
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