Created in 1993 to honor Major Peter J. O’Connell, the first director of the Rhode Island Lottery
Recipients of the award have distinguished themselves over a long period of time and have made important contributions to the success of their peers and to the lottery industry, as well as to the lotteries that they serve.
The recipients are nominated and selected by current Lifetime Achievement Award holders and join an elite group of industry leaders.
Major O’Connell was a pioneer in the lottery field and the evolution of instant ticket and on-line systems. After years of promoting the concept of a multi-state lottery, Major O’Connell served a two-year term as the first President of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), where in 1988 he was instrumental in launching Lotto*America, the predecessor of today’s Powerball.
In 1993, the Public Gaming Research Institute honored Major O’Connell with the Major Peter O’Connell Lottery Lifetime Achievement Award presented for “the principles of high integrity, commitment to the quality of the lottery, dedication to the lottery playing public, professional independence and service to the state, along with tenure in office" as exemplified by Major O’Connell. After serving in the United States Marine Corps during WWII, Peter joined the Rhode Island State Police, where he served with distinction for 25 years. During his tenure he held several top-level positions as he rose to the rank of Major. As chairman of the New England Police Intelligence Unit, he designed and implemented the New England Police Management School for State Police, which became known nationally. Major O’Connell was inducted into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame in 2014. In May of 1974, Major O’Connell was appointed by the governor to be the first Executive Director of the Rhode Island Lottery where he served until his retirement in 1993, making him the longest tenured Lottery Director in the Unites States at the time, and continues to be the longest serving tenure at one lottery.
Major O’Connell passed away in 2021, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
Recipients of the award have distinguished themselves over a long period of time and have made important contributions to the success of their peers and to the lottery industry, as well as to the lotteries that they serve.
The recipients are nominated and selected by current Lifetime Achievement Award holders and join an elite group of industry leaders.
Major O’Connell was a pioneer in the lottery field and the evolution of instant ticket and on-line systems. After years of promoting the concept of a multi-state lottery, Major O’Connell served a two-year term as the first President of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), where in 1988 he was instrumental in launching Lotto*America, the predecessor of today’s Powerball.
In 1993, the Public Gaming Research Institute honored Major O’Connell with the Major Peter O’Connell Lottery Lifetime Achievement Award presented for “the principles of high integrity, commitment to the quality of the lottery, dedication to the lottery playing public, professional independence and service to the state, along with tenure in office" as exemplified by Major O’Connell. After serving in the United States Marine Corps during WWII, Peter joined the Rhode Island State Police, where he served with distinction for 25 years. During his tenure he held several top-level positions as he rose to the rank of Major. As chairman of the New England Police Intelligence Unit, he designed and implemented the New England Police Management School for State Police, which became known nationally. Major O’Connell was inducted into the Rhode Island Criminal Justice Hall of Fame in 2014. In May of 1974, Major O’Connell was appointed by the governor to be the first Executive Director of the Rhode Island Lottery where he served until his retirement in 1993, making him the longest tenured Lottery Director in the Unites States at the time, and continues to be the longest serving tenure at one lottery.
Major O’Connell passed away in 2021, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
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Sue Dooley (2022)Sue Dooley, Director of Draws & Productions, Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL)
As the fourth employee hired at the Multi-State Lottery Association, Sue (Bilstad) Dooley has overseen the progression of draw services at MUSL for the past 34 years. The MUSL Board of Directors hired Dooley as a Draw Manager in 1988 when the Association had seven member lotteries and one weekly drawing for Lotto*America. Since joining the Association, Dooley has administered more than 35,000 lottery drawings on behalf of MUSL, including the Powerball drawing for the world record $1.586 billion jackpot in January 2016. During her tenure at MUSL, Dooley has witnessed the draw processes evolve from lotteries faxing sales and winner information on paper to the implementation of secure websites and automation. MUSL’s draw schedule has also grown from one weekly drawing to multiple drawings performed every day of the year. Along the way, Dooley has been instrumental in drafting draw procedures for Powerball and other Association games. In addition to scheduled drawings, Dooley also manages MUSL’s emergency draw services and has performed every remote drawing for the Association, including the Powerball drawings at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, and most recently, the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year drawings on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC. As the Director of Draws and Productions, Dooley is responsible for testing and maintenance of all draw-related equipment and ongoing work to improve the draw process for MUSL and its members, along with continued performance of draws. Over the past 34 years, she has worked with hundreds of lottery officials from across the country in every department: drawings, information security, accounting, marketing, and communications. Dooley earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1984. Her experiences reacting to the chaotic nature of the classroom prepared Dooley for the occasional draw night challenges. |
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William (Bill) T. Jourdain 2017)Deputy Executive Director of Finance, Administration, and Security, North Carolina Education Lottery
Bill Jourdain began his lottery career almost forty years ago. Hired by the New Jersey Lottery as a staff accountant in 1977, he moved from auditing retailer weekly settlements to becoming a member of the finance team that converted the New Jersey Lottery’s manual bookkeeping records to a computerized accounting system, and served on the team that integrated instant game inventory, validation, and accounting into the on-line gaming system. He was a member of the 1983 implementation team for the gaming system conversion and served on the 1993 & 2007 gaming system procurement teams. Bill progressed to become the Controller for the New Jersey Lottery in 2000, and in 2002, he was appointed Deputy Executive Director for the organization. Over the next seven years, Bill served as Acting Executive Director of the New Jersey Lottery during transition periods within state government, bridging the gubernatorial appointment gaps between Executive Directors. Bill served in this capacity until November 2009 when he was hired by Tom Shaheen to become the North Carolina Education Lottery’s (NCEL) Deputy Executive Director of Finance and Administration. Bill would also add the Security Department to his overall responsibilities in 2010.
Over the past 7 years Bill has overseen the conversion of the NCEL Lottery’s Payroll and Budget and Accounting systems from legacy state systems to ADP and Microsoft AX respectively. Bill also served on the Gaming System and Support Services procurement team for the contract recently awarded in January 2016. Bill is also an active member in the implementation for both the Gaming System and Instant Ticket Production and Distribution conversion projects. Bill is responsible for the management oversight of 72 lottery employees. The Departments under Bill are responsible for Financial Reporting, Collection, Payroll, Purchasing, Prize Award Payment, Retailer contracts, and the security and integrity of all lottery drawings and operations. Bill’s administration department also oversees the management of the North Carolina Education Lottery’s six operating facilities throughout North Carolina. Bill has been married to his wife Noreen for 33 years, and they have 2 sons, Kevin and Patrick. Bill and his family now spend their time between Raleigh and Leland North Carolina, enjoying the beaches and the many golf courses that are available in the State of North Carolina. Even though Bill and his family now call North Carolina home, they remain avid New York sports fans, especially the Yankees and Giants. ■ |