LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — On Thursday, Arkansas Secretary of Finance and Administration Larry Walther announced that J. Eric Hagler has been named as the new Arkansas Scholarship Lottery director.

Former director Bishop Woosley resigned effective Aug. 3, “to pursue other opportunities,” according to a statement from Walther.

Hagler is a native Arkansan and graduated from the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. His career started 31 years ago as an Arkansas deputy prosecuting attorney, followed by creating his own law firm, presiding as a magistrate judge in Bentonville, Arkansas, and serving as Special Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2003. He is moving home to Arkansas from California to lead the lottery, according to a press release.

“The lottery director position requires a wide skill set, including the ability to remain focused on the program’s key goal of providing scholarships to Arkansans,” said Governor Hutchinson. “Eric brings this to the Scholarship Lottery. We are proud to bring Eric home to Arkansas and look forward to him leading a great team of employees.”

The state lottery was approved by voters in 2008 to provide college scholarships and began selling tickets in 2009.