Michelle B. Gillcrist, Director
In May 2023, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine appointed Michelle B. Gillcrist to serve as Director of the Ohio Lottery. She had been serving as Governor DeWine’s Northern Ohio Regional Liaison and Aerospace and Defense Liaison.
For over thirty years, Ms. Gillcrist has served the northeast Ohio community in both the private and public sectors specializing in government relations. In the private sector, Ms. Gillcrist helped shape regional policy on issues related to economic development, healthcare, and technology commercialization during her tenure at Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the Battelle Memorial Institute, Cleveland Clinic and the Visiting Nurse Association.
In the public sector, Ms. Gillcrist has represented the interest of northeast Ohio at the federal level while she served as District Representative for U.S. Senator Mike DeWine. More recently, then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine appointed Ms. Gillcrist as Managing Attorney of his Northeast Ohio Office. In her role, she oversaw the operations of the Cleveland office and assisted in the development of policy to improve mental health, reduce human trafficking and promote collaboration with law enforcement.
Ms. Gillcrist holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in history from John Carroll University as well as a Juris Doctorate from Case Western University School of Law.
Nicole Kostura - Assistant Director
Nicole Kostura serves as the Assistant Director of the Ohio Lottery. In this role, Ms. Kostura works closely with the Executive Director to ensure the Lottery continues to be innovative to stay true to its mission of maximizing profits for Ohio’s Lottery Profits Education Fund, while balancing it’s regulatory role and commitment to responsible gambling practices. Previously, Ms. Kostura was the Lottery’s Deputy Director of Government & Community Relations since January of 2017.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Ms. Kostura served as Governor John Kasich’s Northeast Ohio Regional Liaison for six years. She also has several years of experience in county government from her time with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, where she held several roles within the Voter Registration and Executive Board offices. Ms. Kostura is graduate of Ashland University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science.
Thomas Ackerman, Deputy Director, Office of Marketing
Tom Ackerman was appointed Deputy Director of Marketing in December 2022. Mr. Ackerman oversees all functions in the Office, including strategic planning, advertising, creative development and production, media selection, partnership administration, promotional execution, and research. He joined the Ohio Lottery in June of 1997, working in various administrative capacities, but mainly serving as the Marketing Manager and Assistant Director of Marketing for the past 15 years.
Mr. Ackerman is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA). He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing from Ohio University. He has completed Content Marketing World’s Master Class, presented at numerous industry conferences across the country, and has overseen dozens of national, regional, and local award-winning campaigns in traditional, digital, and social media marketing.
Elizabeth Alex, Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources
Elizabeth Alex was named Interim Deputy Director of Human Resources in November, 2009 and assumed the position permanently in February, 2010. Ms. Alex oversees all functions in the Office of Human Resources (HR Management, Labor Relations, Benefits Management, EEO, Training & Development & Organizational Development). She joined the Ohio Lottery in October of 1993, in the Office of Human Resources and has held several positions within the HR group, most recently as Human Resources Manager.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Elizabeth worked in the private sector, including work in the field of Human Resources.
Ms. Alex is a long standing member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree - Industrial & Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and has completed graduate coursework in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management at Cleveland State University.
Gregory Beyer, Deputy Director, Office of Internal Audit
Gregory Beyer joined the Ohio Lottery as the Deputy Director of Internal Audit in July 2019 and is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of Internal Audit. He is administratively accountable to the Lottery’s Executive Director and functionally accountable to the Lottery’s Audit Committee and Ohio’s Office of Budget and Management’s Office of Internal Audit.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Gregory was a Budget and Management Analyst for the Cuyahoga County Office of Budget and Management.
Mr. Beyer is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Carolina, and a master’s degree in global interactions (MAGI) from Cleveland State University.
Jon Dillinger - Director of Lottery Sports Gaming
Jon Dillinger was named the Director of Lottery Sports Gaming in April of 2022. With the successful launch of sports gaming in Ohio on January 1, 2023, he has been responsible for leading the implementation of the program at eligible Ohio Lottery retailers throughout the State. This includes issuing rules and regulations, completing financial audits, and ensuring compliance with all equipment and marketing standards. Prior to this new role, he joined the Lottery in April of 2019 as the Deputy Director of General Services where he oversaw the agencies fleet, facilities, and office services.
Before joining the Lottery, Jon served as the Fiscal Officer at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections where he worked closely on the agency’s budget, procurement, and contractual needs.
Mr. Dillinger received his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Management from Ohio University.
Raymond C. Durant, Deputy Director, Office of Investigations and Security.
Raymond C. Durant joined the Ohio Lottery in September 2021 as the Deputy Director of the Office of Investigations and Security. In this role, he oversees all facets of the Ohio Lottery Commission’s investigations and security programs and functions, including on-site regulatory and security enforcement at Ohio’s seven racinos, traditional lottery investigations, and all agency draw operations.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Raymond served 32 years with The Ohio State Highway Patrol where he held several positions including serving as the Post Commander of the Ashland Patrol Post.
He attended The John Glenn College of Public Affairs Public Safety Leadership Academy, Ohio State University, and obtained a Master’s Degree from Boston University and a Bachelor’s Degree from The University of Akron.
Danielle Frizzi-Babb, Deputy Director, Office of Communications
Danielle Frizzi-Babb joined the Ohio Lottery in July of 2011 as Deputy Director of Communications.
Ms. Frizzi-Babb comes to the Ohio Lottery after an 11-year career in television news. A life-long Ohioan, Frizzi-Babb worked as a reporter and anchor at WTOV-TV in Steubenville, Ohio from 2000 to 2005. She has spent the last five years in Cleveland, Ohio working as a general assignment reporter at WJW FOX-8.
Ms. Frizzi-Babb was an Emmy-nominated reporter and holds Ohio and West Virginia Associated Press awards for investigative reporting.
As a local TV personality, Ms. Frizzi-Babb has served on scholarship award committees at Ohio University Eastern and has been involved with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign.
Danielle graduated from Ohio University with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Michael C. Gonzalez, Chief Data Analytics Officer
Michael C. Gonzalez was appointed to serve as the agency’s chief data officer in October 2023. This role encompasses serving as the agency’s lead analyst, managing the agency’s analytics infrastructure, and collaboration with the state’s InnovateOhio Platform initiatives. His duties include facilitating the Lottery’s strategic planning processes on behalf of senior staff and participation in industry research groups. Mr. Gonzalez has been in management with the Lottery for over a decade, previously serving as Director of Product Innovation, Data Analytics Manager and Budget Officer. Prior to his tenure with the Lottery, Mr. Gonzalez served in both public and private sector finance and analytics roles. In 2022, Mr. Gonzalez was awarded the industry Powers Award for Performance Excellence.
Mr. Gonzalez holds a B.A. in Political Science from John Carroll University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cleveland State University. He is an Ohio Fiscal Academy (OFA) graduate and holds several certifications in analytics and planning methodologies.
Maureen Hall, Deputy Director, Office of Information Technology
Maureen Hall was named interim IT Director in 2017 and assumed the position permanently in April of 2023. Ms. Hall is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the Ohio Lottery's Information Technology division, including local and wide area network support and administration, network infrastructure, application development, the gaming system, digital platform development and support, drawing support and oversight of the Lottery gaming system and gaming system vendor.
Her experience at the Ohio Lottery spans nearly 28 years. Prior to her appointment as IT Director, she served as an IT Project manager for four years, managing the digital portfolio and all large-scale agency projects and gaming system implementations. She has also served in a variety of roles in the Office of Marketing, Office of Executive, and the Office of Finance.
Ms. Hall holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University. She has also completed PMO classes, presented at numerous industry conferences across the country, and is a past recipient of the NASPL Powers Award.
Jimmie Hicks, Deputy Director, Office of Responsible Gambling
Jimmie Hicks III was named Deputy Director of Responsible Gambling in September, 2022. In this new role, Jimmie serves as the Lottery’s Problem Gambling Advocate, ensuring best practices in corporate social responsibility. Prior to accepting this new role, Jimmie served on the lottery sales team as the Cleveland Regional Sales Manager for 6 years. Outside of the Ohio Lottery, Jimmie is a Board Trustee for his family-operated non-profit, Start Right Community Development Corporation, located in the Caledonia neighborhood of Cleveland Heights. Prior to coming to the Ohio Lottery in 2016, Jimmie worked for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for 3 years in the Election Support Department. Jimmie has earned his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Urban Planning and Development from Cleveland State University.
Charles Lo Presti, Chief Legal Counsel
Charles LoPresti was appointed Chief Legal Counsel in September 2017. Mr. LoPresti had served as Assistant Legal Counsel at the agency since November 2012, and has been practicing law in both the public and private sectors since 1996. In his current capacity, he provides legal advice and direction to the Executive Director on all legal matters concerning the agency. This includes the supervision, coordination and management of the Legal Department and agency legal functions and requirements, while ensuring agency compliance with applicable rules, regulations, codes, policies and procedures. As the agency’s Chief Ethics Officer, he is also responsible for coordinating ethics training, reviews and updates to ethics policies and practices, and the application of ethics laws and directives.
Mr. LoPresti holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Master’s Degrees in Law (LL.M.), Business Administration (M.B.A.), Public Administration (M.P.A.), and Criminology (M.C.J.), and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence (J.D.).
Simeonia Mays, Deputy Director, Office of Racino Operations
Simeonia Mays was appointed Deputy Director of Racino Operations in 2023, after serving two years as Deputy Director of Video Lottery Management. In this role, Ms. Mays oversees all functions in Video Lottery and Racino Operations at the seven facilities throughout the state. She joined the Ohio Lottery in March of 2014, working in the Customer Call Center. Ms. Mays transferred to the Office of Security in March of 2016. She held several positions in the department and was later named Interim Deputy Director of Security.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Ms. Mays worked in the public and private sector. She has experience from roles in the gaming industry and administrative management. Ms. Mays supervised day-to-day operations of local and national call centers. She also managed a team of field service technicians.
Ms. Mays holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.
Marty Morrow, Deputy Director, Office of Product Innovation
Richard Perk, Deputy Director, Office of Sales Management
Richard Perk was named Deputy Director of Sales in August 2017. Mr. Perk has almost 30 years of Sales experience, with 20 years spent in lottery sales. In 1996, he was named Assistant Director of Sales directly supervising the lottery’s Corporate Account’s Department. He and his team developed a strategy that grew sales and brand awareness at those locations by 40 percent. When he left the Ohio Lottery in 2002, chain stores accounted for nearly 34 percent of the lottery’s overall sales.
In 2003, Mr. Perk joined SPRINT/Nextel Communications as their Government Account Executive working with Public Safety and First Responders to improve communications between neighboring jurisdictions. In 2007, he joined Corporate Express as their Business Development Manager responsible for prospecting and closing new Large Market Commercial Accounts within the NE Ohio region. Corporate Express merged with Staples in 2006 and Mr. Perk continued as the BDM until 2010 when he accepted the position of Government Account Executive for SECURUS Technologies, which provides inmate phone services, investigative tools and revenue generating opportunities for correctional facilities. In 2013, Mr. Perk returned to his role as the Assistant Director of Sales for the Ohio Lottery.<
A 1983 graduate from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, Mr. Perk holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Public Relations.
Edward Slyman, Chief Financial Officer
Percy Turner, Deputy Director, Office of General Services
Percy Turner was appointed Director of General Services in April of 2022 after serving three years as Supervisor of the Licensing and Bonding Department. In his current role, he is responsible for the agency's fleet and facilities management, the licensing and bonding of all current and prospective retailers, and the oversight of the customer service center for the agency.
Before joining the Lottery in 2019, Percy worked at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for 11 years, serving as a Supervisor in the Election Officials and Ballot Departments and as the Executive Assistant for the Director.
He attended Bowling Green State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.