Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser Friday announced the appointment of Silvan (Sil) Lutkewitte III, an entrepreneur with notable experience in business finance and building strategic partnerships, as the Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director.
“Sil brings broad experience in business growth, retail operations and contract negotiation to this leadership role, as well as a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory processes that govern the Lottery,” said Meuser. “We welcome Sil to the helm of the Lottery, particularly as we begin to write the next chapter in Lottery growth.”
Lutkewitte, 50, of Hershey, most recently served as the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission, of which he has been a member since he was appointed in 2009. In this role, he reviewed regulations for consistency with legislative intent and facilitated public review and comment on administrative actions.
For more than 20 years, Lutkewitte had worked in various capacities in the gas station and convenience store business, most recently working as a manager with Lehigh Gas, which has more than 250 locations in Pennsylvania, 57 of which are licensed Lottery retailers.
“Gas stations and convenience stores make up approximately 43 percent of Lottery’s more than 9,100 retailers, and we know through the PMA process there is room for improvement in supporting these kinds of businesses from an operational and merchandising standpoint,” said Meuser. “Sil has a data-driven approach to business operations, and I’m confident in his ability to diagnose opportunities to standardize best practices across retailers and maximize sales.”
Lutkewitte also spent part of his career building research and development partnerships among investors, universities, government agencies and biotech and pharmaceutical companies, employing an education and early career in finance to grow financially secure business ventures that develop techniques to fight disease.
“Sil has invaluable experience brokering deals, bringing new partners together and negotiating contracts. We are fortunate that the Lottery can now benefit from that experience. He will be influential in growing the Lottery retail base by fostering relationships with new corporate accounts, and his business acumen will complement the commonwealth’s procurement processes well, to ensure we get the greatest possible value out of contracts with advertising partners, Lottery suppliers and other vendors,” Meuser said.
Lutkewitte assumes his role as Lottery Director Monday, Jan. 13. He was appointed executive director after a review process that considered current Lottery employees and lottery industry experts for the position.
Meuser also acknowledged the service of Robert P. Coyne, Deputy Secretary for the Department of Revenue, as interim Lottery director.
“I want to thank Bob Coyne for rising to the challenge of serving as Lottery interim director for the last seven weeks. Bob’s dedication to the commonwealth and his innate desire to serve the department and the Governor in this time of transition is commendable.”
Lutkewitte earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Villanova University. He is married, has three adult children and resides in Hershey, Dauphin County, where he is active in a number of civic and community organizations.
Reaction
House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny), Democratic Whip Mike Hanna (D-Centre) and Appropriations Committee Democratic Chairman Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny) are disappointed by Gov. Tom Corbett’s selection of a Harrisburg insider for the crucial post of Pennsylvania Lottery executive director.
“Mr. Lutkewitte did important work and served honorably on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission,” said Rep. Dermody. “But that limited experience does not prepare him to oversee a multi-billion dollar statewide lottery.
“This continues Gov. Corbett’s strange pattern of appointing people to professional positions for which they lack sufficient expertise or qualifications,” Rep. Dermody said.
The three House Democrats wrote to Corbett last week requesting that he conduct a wide search to fill the vacancy at the top of the Pennsylvania Lottery.
“We strongly urge you to seize this opportunity and promptly begin a nationwide search for an experienced Lottery executive director who has demonstrated previous success at expanding lottery offerings and consistently growing lottery profits,” the legislative leaders wrote.
“This appointment concerns me,” said Rep. Markosek. “After pursuing a misguided attempt to privatize Lottery management for almost two years, it is not clear that Gov. Corbett truly understands the value and importance of the Pennsylvania Lottery.”
