Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Lottery Commission today announced it would appoint Bill Bartlett to serve in the role of Interim Director while the search continues for a replacement for retired Executive Director Rick Wisler. Bartlett plans to serve only as long as it takes to find a new executive director. The appointment will go into effect on March 19th.
“Bill has a long history of service to the state and a proven track record as an agent of change. His well-known dedication to the state will be invaluable in guiding the department through this time of transition,” said Richard Campbell, Commission chairman.
“I’m honored to serve the NH Lottery in this way,” said Bartlett. “My mission will be to serve the Lottery and help the new permanent director hit the ground running.”
William Bartlett, Jr., was a state senator from 1982 to 1990. He volunteered to head up the Pease Development Authority and to chair the committee examining the state retirement system. Bartlett was also commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development, acting director of the Fish and Game Department and president of New Hampshire Community Technical College. A tireless advocate for the state of New Hampshire, Bartlett has served under Governors Merrill, Shaheen, Benson, and Lynch.
Wisler, who announced his retirement in November, left the job after 34 years with the NH Lottery. His last day was February 25, 2010.
“We have been conducting a nationwide search for a replacement for sometime,” said Campbell. “In a specialized field such as this, there are few qualified candidates out there and we are currently unable to offer a salary competitive with that of other states.”
Since 1964, the New Hampshire Lottery has had a significant financial impact on the state. For the past 45 years, the New Hampshire Lottery has recorded $4.1 billion in lottery sales and other earnings, with $2.7 billion being paid in prizes and other cost of sales. Net proceeds to education to date total more than $1.3 billion.
The New Hampshire Lottery Commission, located at 14 Integra Drive in Concord, currently manages all lottery operations in the state, including Instant games, New Hampshire POWERBALL®, New Hampshire Mega Millions® with Megaplier®, Tri-State Megabucks Plus®, Tri-State Weekly Grand®, Hot Lotto Sizzler®, and Tri-State Pick3/Pick4 Daily Numbers® games.
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