Published October 17, 2024
The afterglow of Kansas City is still shining a little bit for me. Lester, thanks again for hosting such a nice event. The Missouri Lottery helped orchestrate a first-class experience that was not only productive but informative and a fitting way to end an exciting year of NASPL activities. As we do with every conference, we will assess the final results, participation and feedback to make any necessary adjustments for future events. We are already looking forward to NASPL ’25, which will be hosted by our colleagues at OLG in beautiful Niagara Falls, Ontario.
It has indeed been an exciting year, starting with NASPL’s Lottery Leadership Institute (LLI) in Nashville. Thank you to Rebecca Paul and the Tennessee Education Lottery for their support in making the event a great success. LLI continues to be one of the most highly rated and sought after conferences we do, and it continues to grow. We also had our first Directors’ Meeting outside the continental U.S. Visiting Puerto Rico was an experience we will not soon forget. Hosted by Lorna Huertas’ team at Loterías de Puerto Rico, they reminded us of the rich, long history of lottery and the uniqueness that we all have in each jurisdiction we serve. That uniqueness is one of our biggest assets. And finally, the Professional Development Seminar (PDS) in Omaha was one of our most well-attended events in years. Thanks to Brian Rockey and the Nebraska Lottery team for helping to make that experience special.
The NASPL team, led by Cindy, was very busy this year. We:
Created a comprehensive guide for hosting the NASPL Annual Conference for future leaders.
Established the first NASPL Director Mentorship Program to support new directors.
Worked with regional directors to implement the mentorship program, offering new directors connections in the industry that could help indoctrinate them sooner.
Encouraged increased involvement and collaboration among regional directors.
Focused on increasing member participation through open discussions and shared insights at Directors’ Meetings.
Strengthened relationships and teamwork between lotteries and vendor partners, promoting collaboration.
This work has been foundational in that it will help us continue to strengthen as an organization and add value for our members. My goal during my term is to continue to build on what we have started this year and leverage the resources that NASPL has to more proactively engage with members to deliver practical and useful information more conveniently, to help overcome near-term challenges that surface throughout the year. In my 12 years in the industry working my way up through operations and technology, there was no shortage of challenges that surfaced on a regular basis.
NASPL has a solid base of information that its members can use. Whether it’s the through the regular member surveys we complete, the information disseminated through our conferences and via Insights Online, or the collaboration that takes place amongst our members, a potential solution to your problem may be within arms reach through the NASPL Matrix or our members directly. This year will be about bridging those gaps to better ensure members know what’s available, as well as exploring new ways of collaboration through virtual means.
I am excited by the prospects for the year ahead, as I hope you are. Until next time!
Harold Mays
Director, Illinois Lottery
NASPL President
