Rebecca Paul Hargrove

Biography:

Rebecca Paul Hargrove is a 20-year lottery industry veteran who is considered to be one of the most effective lottery executives in the world.

She began her career working in local television news, advertising and promotions in Indiana and Illinois before being tapped in 1985 by former Illinois Governor James Thompson to lead the Illinois Lottery. Under her management, Illinois Lottery sales climbed to more than $1.3 billion annually. In 1987, she moved to Florida to launch the Sunshine State's lottery where she set industry records for first-year sales. After that, she worked as a consultant, developing strategic plans and advising lotteries across the U.S. and abroad.

In 1993 Paul was tapped by the Georgia Lottery Corporation Board of Directors to start up the Georgia Lottery. During the first year of operation, she once again set new industry sales records. During her 10 years in the Peach State, the Georgia Lottery generated more than $6 billion for education and funded scholarships for more than 700,000 students attending state colleges and universities and more than 500,000 four-year-olds who attended Lottery funded pre-Kindergarten programs.

The Board of Directors of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation selected Paul as the Tennessee Lottery's first president and CEO in September 2003, following a nationwide executive search. In making the announcement, the Board noted Paul's "unparalleled experience" will be critical as the Lottery works to generate millions of dollars to fund the first round of scholarships for an estimated 65,000 students attending Tennessee colleges and universities in fall of 2004. Paul and her team didn't let the Board down. After starting ticket sales three weeks ahead of schedule on January 20, the Tennessee Lottery closed out its first fiscal year of five months and 12 days by transferring more than $123 million to the state's education fund-roughly 40 percent more than the initial goal of $88 million. Another $2 million was also transferred to fund after-school programs.

The Tennessee Lottery's first year of operation was a win for education - more than $246 million was raised for education including more than $2 million for after school programs. By March 2005, gross ticket sales had surpassed $1 billion after one year and seven weeks of ticket sales. Marking the end of the Lottery's first full fiscal year, the latest quarterly transfer to the Lottery for Education Account brought the total of funds transferred to that account from January 20, 2004 to June 30, 2005 to over $350 million. In addition, more than $6.87 million has been raised to fund after school programs, bringing the total amount raised for education since the Tennessee Lottery's launch to nearly $360 million. Paul and her team continue to stay on track to provide scholarships for all eligible students, as well as create additional dollars for education.

Paul's resume includes a long list of lottery industry, business and civic accomplishments. In 1990, she served as President of the International Lottery Association. From 1997 to 1998, she served as president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. She was the recipient of the 1998 Peter O'Connell Lifetime Achievement Award by the Public Gaming Research Institute. In 1999, she served as vice chairman of the Public Sector Gaming Study Commission appointed by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States. This group was comprised of state and local government leaders and released their final report in March 2000 on the impact of gaming nationwide. In July 2005, Paul received the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame Award when she was named one of the first inductees to the Public Gaming Research Institute's Lottery Industry Hall of Fame - established to recognize individuals who have made important contributions to the long-term growth and success of the lottery industry.

In April 2004, Business Tennessee magazine named Paul to the Power 100, a list of Tennessee's most powerful people. In June of 1998, Paul was named The Georgian of the Year by the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. She is privileged to be the first woman to receive this prestigious award. Paul also received the 1998 Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award from Butler University. The J. Whitney Bunting School of Business of Georgia College name Paul the 1996 Executive of the Year. In 1994, she was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Association and won the Corporate Leadership Award from the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs. Paul is an Indianapolis native. She holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education from Butler University, Indianapolis.