“Jim Poppell is a committed public servant who believes in the mission of the Florida Lottery,” said DeSantis. “With Jim continuing to lead the Florida Lottery, I am certain Florida students will continue to benefit from the outstanding educational opportunities the agency generates.

Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that he is keeping Florida Lottery Sec. Jim Poppell at his post. 

“Jim Poppell is a committed public servant who believes in the mission of the Florida Lottery,” said DeSantis. “With Jim continuing to lead the Florida Lottery, I am certain Florida students will continue to benefit from the outstanding educational opportunities the agency generates. A world-class education system is paramount to our state’s success, and I look forward to seeing the Florida Lottery contribute to our students’ success. Transparent and efficient operation of the lottery system is critical to ensuring that this program achieves its promise and Jim has demonstrated he is the professional to do this work.”

Poppell took over at the Florida Lottery in July 2017 when he was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to replace Tom Delacenserie who left at the start of the month to become president and CEO of the Kentucky Lottery. Prior to that appointment, Poppell was the chief of staff at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). Before that, he served as DEO’s general counsel. He also worked at NextEra Energy, Inc. and Florida Power & Light Company.

When he named him to lead the Florida Lottery, Scott praised Poppell’s record at DEO.

“During his time at DEO, Jim has helped provide Florida families and businesses with the support they need to succeed,” Scott said. “I am confident that Jim will continue the Lottery’s focus on fighting for students and achieving record sales to invest in our education system. I look forward to working with him to further support Florida students.”

DeSantis replaces Scott, who was elected to the U.S. Senate, next month. 

http://sunshinestatenews.com/story/ron-desantis-keeps-jim-poppell-secretary-florida-lottery