Convenience Veteran Named Executive Director of Pennsylvania Lottery

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Convenience veteran Silvan “Sil” Lutkewitte III today assumed his new role as 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," Revenue Secretary Dan Meuser stated in a news release. "We welcome Sil to the helm of the Lottery, particularly as we begin to write the next chapter in Lottery growth."

Most recently, Lutkewitte served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission, which he has been a member of since he was appointed in 2009. He also brings more than 20 years of experience working in various capacities in the gas station and convenience store business. He previously served as a manager with Lehigh Gas Partners LP, 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 [the] Lottery's more than 9,100 retailers, and we know through the PMA [private management agreement] 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, a resident of Hershey, Pa., replaces Deputy Secretary for the Department of Revenue Robert P. Coyne, who had been serving as interim lottery director. Lutkewitte's appointment comes less than two weeks after Gov. Tom Corbett backed away from a deal that would have allowed United Kingdom-based Camelot Global Services to take over as a private manager of the lottery, according to a report by Pennlive.com. Administration officials said the state would still employ a director to oversee the lottery even if the management is outsourced.