INSPIREDOH - Key Persons
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.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Operations
Constance Miller joined the Ohio Lottery in 1992 serving as an Administrative Assistant for Director Virgil Brown. In her current position, Ms. Miller oversees production of the weekly Cash Explosion game show and the regulation of the video lottery operations at seven Ohio racetracks.
Ms. Miller has more than 25 years of experience in public sector management and the gaming industry. Ms. Miller holds a bachelor's degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Job Titles:
- 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.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources
- Member of the Society for Human Resource Management
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.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Internal Audit
- Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors
- Ohio Lottery As the Deputy Director 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.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Deputy Director, Office of Finance
- Member of the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association
Greg Bowers was appointed Finance Director in March 2014, after serving two years as Acting Finance Director. He manages the day-to-day activities of the Finance Division, including Accounting and Financial Reporting, Budget and Planning, Accounts Payable, Prize Claims, Retailer Accounts, and Procurement. His experience at the Lottery spans nearly 23 years. Prior to his appointment, he served as Senior Budget Officer, managing the agency's annual budget. In that role, he directed the development of the agency's biennial budget for submission to the Governor's office and served as the agency's liaison to the Office of Budget and Management.
His experience in Finance also includes eight years of managing the agency's accounting department. During that time, he oversaw the development of nine Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs), each recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Mr. Bowers is a member of the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association. Mr. Bowers holds a Bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University and a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) from Ashland University.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Responsible Gambling
Karen Russo was named Director of Responsible Gambling in January 2020 and serves as the Lottery's Problem Gambling Advocate, ensuring best practices in corporate social responsibility. In her 28-year tenure at the Lottery, she has held various positions in the Sales Division, Web Administration, communications and public relations. Ms. Russo serves on the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) Responsible Gambling Committee, the Ohio Problem Gambling Advisory Board, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Advisory Board, the Cleveland Foodbank External Affairs Committee, and an active member of National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Ms. Russo received the NASPL 2019 Powers Award and 15 national awards, along with state agency partners for problem gambling awareness programs.
Ms. Russo has a degree from Kent State University in Public Relations. Prior to joining the Lottery, she served as Promotions Director for the Cleveland Crunch- Major Indoor Soccer League.
Job Titles:
- Interim Deputy Director, Office of Information Technology
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Product Development and Data Analytics
- Director of Product Development
Michael C. Gonzalez was appointed Director of Product Development and Data Analytics in March 2019, after serving six years as Data Analytics Manager and Budget Officer. This role includes managing the lottery product development process, long term planning, and development of the agency's analytical functions. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Gonzalez served in both public and private sector finance and analytics roles.
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 Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director
- Assistant Director, Sales and Marketing
Nicole Kostura was appointed Assistant Director of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development in April 2019. In this position, 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. Ms. Kostura oversees the agency's senior management of Sales, Marketing, Communications, Product Innovation, Responsible Gambling, and Public Policy departments. 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.
Pat McDonald was named Director of the Ohio Lottery by Governor Mike DeWine in February 2019. Prior to his appointment, Mr. McDonald began serving as a member of the Ohio Lottery Commission in 2007, and was Chairman for the last eight years. Under his leadership, the Commission added Committees on Responsible Gambling and Audit to review and refine the agency's management practices.
As Director, Mr. McDonald oversees a $4 billion operation through the sale of traditional lottery games at nearly 10,000 licensed retailers and the regulation of the video lottery terminals at Ohio's seven racetracks. In Fiscal Year 2018, this resulted in the transfer of $1.087 billion to the Lottery Profits Education Fund.
Mr. McDonald holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Dayton. Mr. McDonald has more than 30 years in senior and executive management roles in state and local government. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, where he oversaw the successful execution of 58 elections in the largest voting jurisdiction in the state of Ohio, while simultaneously leading the charge in establishing the Board as a widely respected agency both statewide and nationally. He also has served as Finance Director for the Ohio Secretary of State, Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce and Deputy State Treasurer in the office of Ohio Treasurer of State.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of General Services
- Director 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.
Job Titles:
- 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.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Sales Management
- SPRINT / Nextel Communications As Their Government Account Executive
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.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Office of Marketing
Sandy Lesko Sabbath joined the Ohio Lottery in January 2011 as Deputy Director of Marketing. Ms. Lesko Sabbath has been active in the Cleveland not-for-profit and communications communities for the past two decades.
Following a broadcast journalism career that included seven years as a weekend anchor and reporter for WJW TV-8 in Cleveland, Ms. Lesko Sabbath served as Director of Communications for the Ohio Lottery Commission. She held that role from 1991 to 2001.
Ms. Lesko Sabbath went on to launch her own marketing communications firm, Sandy Lesko Communications, a company which handled various elements of media, marketing, public relations and communications training for a number of Northeast Ohio businesses including the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation's Catholic Charities Appeal, Special Olympics Ohio, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Northern Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners, and Kalahari Waterpark Resort in Sandusky, Ohio.
Ms. Lesko Sabbath has also been an active volunteer and member of a number of area organizations, including the American Heart Association and the Public Service Consortium of Greater Cleveland. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Operations and Administration
- Ohio Lottery As Assistant Director of Operations and Administration
Sean Webster joined the Ohio Lottery as Assistant Director of Operations and Administration in 2019. In this role, he oversees senior management of the Offices of Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Legal, Operations, Security, and General Services. He also works closely with the Executive Director to define the core goals and priorities for the agency.
Prior to joining the Lottery, Mr. Webster was the Finance Manager for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections where he managed the agency's budget and oversaw all financial, procurement, and human resources operations and staff. In 2016, he received the Freedom Award for innovation in election administration from the National Association of Election Officials.
Mr. Webster holds a B.A. in Political Science from John Carroll University and a Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State University with graduate certificates in local and urban management and urban economic development.