Published: October 7, 2021

Texas Lottery announced that Conchita Daniel was named a recipient of a 2021 Powers Award

(AUSTIN) – The Texas Lottery Commission today announced that Conchita Daniel, the agency’s drawings supervisor, was named a recipient of a 2021 Powers Award during the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries’ (NASPL) annual seminar.

Daniel was presented with the award virtually during NASPL DeskCon, which was held digitally for a second year in a row due to COVID-19 precautions.

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought especially daunting challenges for the Texas Lottery draw team, and there was no one better suited to lead them than Conchita Daniel,” said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. “Understanding and addressing the safety concerns of her staff and thinking outside the box to split her team into two separate work groups, working tirelessly to maintain COVID protocols and dealing with vendors to make needed safety modifications – Conchita dealt with every challenge head-on. Most importantly, Conchita’s leadership during this period meant that every Texas Lottery drawing occurred securely and with integrity. For these many reasons, I am proud to see Conchita’s efforts recognized by NASPL and congratulate her on receiving one of this year’s Powers Awards.”

Each year, the Powers Awards are presented in recognition of the significant contributions lottery and lottery vendor employees have made through exceptional job performance.

These awards are named in honor of the late Edward J. Powers, the “Father of U.S. Lotteries.” Powers spent more than 25 years in the lottery industry helping to define the most effective organizational structures that have become a blueprint for today’s lotteries. The drive, commitment and integrity Powers demonstrated set the standard of excellence exhibited by lottery and vendor employees nominated for this award.

A longtime employee of the State of Texas, Daniel joined the Texas Lottery Commission in March 2000. She has led the Texas Lottery through transformative growth in its draw studio capacity and design, serving as a critical member of the team that designed the first “in-house” draw studio, moving the Texas Lottery’s four daily drawings from a small rented soundstage in a remote location. In April of  2022, Daniel will once again be leading her team into another new, state-of-the-art location for the draw studio at a new headquarters building currently under construction. Daniel has also overseen the modernization of the Texas Lottery’s draw game business practices. She has developed a robust Business Continuity Program that is a model in the lottery industry. Members of the Texas Governor’s Office and Texas Legislature, Texas Lottery Commissioners, and lottery drawings staff from all over the world have visited the Texas Lottery drawing studio to learn of these processes, with Daniel as their guide serving as a very effective ambassador for the mission and reputation of the Texas Lottery.

Daniel manages a team of 17 staff who operate the Texas Lottery’s eight different draw games that occur as many as four times per day, six days per week.

About the Texas Lottery

Beginning with the first ticket sold in 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated $33.6 billion in revenue for the state and distributed $71 billion in prizes to lottery players. Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $27.6 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas. As authorized by the Texas Legislature, certain Texas Lottery revenues benefit state programs including the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. Since the first veterans’ themed scratch ticket game was launched in 2009, the Texas Lottery has contributed more than $166 million for programs supporting Texas veterans. The Texas Lottery provides several entertaining games for lottery players including Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Lotto Texas®, All or Nothing ™, Texas Two Step®, Pick 3™, Daily 4™, Cash Five® and scratch ticket games. For more information visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or at texaslottery.com. PLAY RESPONSIBLY.

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