Director and Staff Information

Mike Dolan, Executive Director
Michael A. Dolan joined the Ohio Lottery Commission March 28, 2007. As Director, he oversees a state agency with sales of $2 billion a year, administering instant and on-line lottery game products through a statewide network of licensed retailers. The agency is charged with maximizing Lottery game profits for use in public education. As Executive Director of the Ohio Lottery Commission, he also oversees the administration of Ohio’s charitable bingo licensing and monitoring.

From 1996 to March 2007, Mr. Dolan represented the 21st Ward of Cleveland on Cleveland City Council. As a member of city council, he served as Chairman of the Aviation and Transportation Committee and Vice-Chair of the Parks, Recreation and Properties Committee. As councilman, Mr. Dolan helped secure funds for an expansion of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. He also helped draft legislation and provided oversight for numerous economic development projects in Cleveland.

Mr. Dolan currently serves on the Board of Directors at Fairview General Hospital, the West Park YMCA Advisory Board, and as a trustee for the Colleen DECRANE Family Foundation. He is also a former trustee of the Golden Age Center of Cleveland.

Mr. Dolan, a trial attorney, practiced law in the Cleveland office of McIntyre, Kahn and Kruse Co., L.P.A. He also served as the City of Cleveland’s assistant director of law from 1992-1997 and as an associate for Watts, Hoffmann, Fisher and Heinke Co., L.P.A.

Mr. Dolan received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University.

Dennis Berg, Deputy Director, Office of Finance
Dennis R. Berg assumed the position of Deputy Director of the Office of Finance in January 2005, a position he briefly held in 1996 as well.

He has been employed at the Ohio Lottery Commission since 1991. His experience at the Ohio Lottery has allowed him to touch virtually every aspect of the agency’s business operations.

Mr. Berg has been employed in public service since 1985, starting in the Finance Department of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. He joined the Financial Reporting and Control Department for the City of Cleveland in 1986.

Mr. Berg earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University. A Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, he is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Mr. Berg also holds an Ohio Financial Accountability Certificate issued by the Auditor of State.

Traci Pinkney Deputy Director, Office of General Services
Traci Pinkney was named deputy director of the Office of General Services in January 2008, for the Ohio Lottery Commission. In this capacity, Traci oversees a variety of agency support functions, including Bureaus of Agent Licensing, Vehicle Fleet Administration, Office Services, Warehouse Operations and the Customer Call Center.

Traci began her tenure with the Lottery in 1986 as an intern. Over the last 22 years, Traci has held various positions with the Lottery, including public inquiry supervisor in the Customer Call Center and team member in the Office of Strategic Planning.

Traci was also employed by betpin & associates inc., a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, political consulting, and campaign management.

Traci received both a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business from the University of Phoenix. Traci resides in Cleveland and is a member of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., an associate board member of Recovery Resources and a disaster action team leader for the American Red Cross.

Michael Petro, Interim Deputy Director, Office of Information Technology
Michael Petro was named Deputy Director of the Office of Information Technology in June 2002. His career at the Ohio Lottery began in 1978. At the time he left the Lottery in 1985, Mr. Petro supervised the agency's programming staff.

In 1985, he joined Curtis Industries, where he served as a project team leader until 1989. In 1989, Mr. Petro joined Ecotran, a software company, where he served as Vice President of Product Development until 1998. Ecotran was subsequently purchased by Trapeze Software, and Mr. Petro led their development group until 2002.

Mr. Petro holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics, as well as a master’s degree in computer and information science. Mr. Petro is a member of the Mathematical Association of America.

Dan Metelsky, Deputy Director, Office of Sales
Dan Metelsky was named Deputy Director of the Office of Sales Management on August 25, 2002 . A former State Representative from Lorain , Mr. Metelsky brings extensive knowledge of the legislative process and business development with him to the Office of Sales Management. Mr. Metelsky joined the Lottery on November 1, 2001 as the Deputy Director of Legislative Policy and Special Projects.

Prior to joining the Lottery, he served as State Representative to District 61, which includes the City of Lorain and the surrounding communities. He has held public office since 1983, serving as a Lorain City Councilman until joining the State Assembly in 1996. A well-respected member of the State House of Representatives, Mr. Metelsky served as Minority Whip from 1999 to 2000. He left office in October 2001.

Mr. Metelsky is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a specialization in sales and sales management.

Jeannie Roberts, Deputy Director, Office of Communications

Jeannie Roberts was named Deputy Director of the Office of Communications on May 12, 2008.
In her position, Ms. Roberts oversees all aspects of the Ohio Lottery’s communications and public relations efforts and serves as the agency’s spokesperson.

Ms. Roberts brings 20-plus years of media experience to the Lottery. She served as a beat writer and columnist for daily newspapers in Florida and Michigan, including stints covering Southeastern Conference football, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.

Prior to joining the Lottery in June of 2007, Ms. Roberts was a freelance magazine writer, publishing in numerous national magazines and on Internet sports writing sites. Locally, she was a regular contributor to Cleveland Magazine and served clients such as Case Western Reserve University and the Eliza Jennings Senior Care Network.

Before beginning her media career, for which she has been professionally recognized with numerous awards, Ms. Roberts attended Florida State University.

Linnette Lavelle, Deputy Director, Office of Charitable Gaming
Linnette Lavelle was named Deputy Director of the Office of Charitable Gaming in July 2003. As the Office’s first Deputy Director, she oversees the administration and monitoring of charitable bingo licenses.

Currently, the office monitors and manages the licenses of approximately 2,500 organizations raising funds for charities throughout the state. Previously, she served in various capacities in the Office of Marketing Services, including Acting Deputy Director of Marketing, Assistant Director of Marketing and show coordinator of Cash Explosion® Double Play. She held various management-level positions in Finance and Sales before joining the Office of Marketing Services in 1994.

Mrs. Lavelle holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and speech communication from Baldwin Wallace College , and is pursuing a master’s in business administration at Ashland University . She has been employed by the Lottery since 1976.

Carol Brown, Deputy Director, Office of Internal Audit

Carol Brown currently serves as the Ohio Lottery Commission’s Deputy Director of the Office of Internal Audit. Mrs. Brown first joined the Ohio Lottery Commission in 1989 as an accountant in the Office of Finance, and later served as a fiscal specialist. In 1993, she became an internal auditor, and in July 2002 was named Manager of Internal Audit.

Prior to joining the Ohio Lottery, Mrs. Brown worked in the private sector handling taxes and financials for corporations, partnerships and sole proprietors.

Mrs. Brown is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, with a minor in data processing, from Dyke College.

John O'Donnell, Deputy Director, Office of Security

Jack O’Donnell has been the Ohio Lottery Commission’s Deputy Director of Security since May 2002. He oversees a staff responsible for securing the safety and security of the agency’s employees, game products and drawings. The Office of Security investigates stolen ticket incidents, initiates background checks for employees, vendors and retailers, and provides general security needs to protect the safety and reputation of the agency. A 25-year law enforcement veteran, he comes to the Lottery from the City of Beachwood, where he was Commander of Investigations.

Mr. O’Donnell is a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College and is a certified Law Enforcement Executive, one of 110 in the State of Ohio.

Pam DeGeeter, Chief Legal Counsel

Pam DeGeeter was named Chief Legal Counsel Oct. 16, 2007, and in her role oversees all legal matters that come before the agency.

She joined The Ohio State Lottery as Assistant Legal Counsel in May 2007, bringing both private sector practice and government-related experience to the Ohio Lottery. Prior to joining the agency, she served as a judicial staff attorney for Judge David T. Matia. From 1997 to 2005, Ms. DeGeeter worked for Smith & Smith of Avon Lake, a general practice law firm. While working in private practice, Ms. DeGeeter served as a guardian ad litem for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. A former member of the Cleveland Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Executive Committee, she currently holds membership in both the Cleveland Bar Association and the Ohio Bar Association.

Ms. DeGeeter graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Miami University of Ohio. She resides in Parma.

Terri Tancredi, Deputy Director, Marketing Services

Terri Tancredi was named Deputy Director of the Office of Marketing Services Sept. 4, 2007. In her position, Ms. Tancredi oversees all aspects of the Ohio Lottery’s marketing efforts, including advertising, promotions, sponsorships, point-of-purchase and merchandising.

Prior to joining the Lottery, Ms. Tancredi served as Director of Intranet and Brand Strategy for Big Lots Inc., a Fortune 500 company with more than 1,400 stores in 46 states and annual revenues exceeding $4 billion.

She brings with her extensive retail knowledge at the field, regional and corporate levels. Her career spans more than 20 years with experience in marketing, sales promotion, merchandise presentation, creative services, advertising, packaging, brand strategy and the Intranet.

Ms. Tancredi began her retail career at Gold Circle, a division of Federated Department Stores.