A retiring state legislator and state Department of Labor employee will take a key position at the Delaware State Lottery.
Helene M. Keeley has been appointed Deputy Director, effective November 12.
As Deputy Director, Keeley will be responsible for overseeing a number of functions within the lottery office; including finance, human resources, technology and security.
The appointment raised eyebrows in some quarters since Delaware has a history of former legislators getting jobs in state government. That has led to concerns about potential conflicts and concerns over “insiders” getting preferred treatment on available state jobs.
Business Now Facebook posts tore into the appointment, with one commenter describing the hiring as part of the “Delaware Way”
Chuck Boyce, a former Republican candidate for the Senate seat held by Tom Carper confirmed that he filed a Freedom of Information request regarding the lottery position and saw a link between today’s announcement and the request. Boyce dropped out of the race, citing health issues.
Keeley, a Democrat, served for 22 years as a member of the Delaware General Assembly and was a long-time member and current Vice-Chair of the House Gaming and Pari-mutuel Committee.
She is an active leader of the National Conference of Legislators from Gaming States, an organization for state lawmakers focused solely on public policy related to gaming.
Keeley served as the past President of the group from 2014-2016 and more recently as Vice President of its Executive Committee and member of its Committees on Pari-Mutuels and State-Federal Relations.
“Helene has been a strong booster of Delaware’s casino and horseracing industries and a great advocate for maintaining a sound regulatory environment that enables gaming to remain an important contributor to our State’s economy and revenues,” said Secretary of Finance Rick Geisenberger. “The Delaware Lottery Office will be well served by her industry knowledge and more than 30 years of experience managing and driving improvements in the administration of diverse organizations.”
Prior to joining the Lottery next month, Ms. Keeley will have spent 14 years at the Department of Labor where she currently manages daily operations for the Business Services Unit of the Division of Employment and Training.
Her prior experience also includes 16 years with Rosenbluth International where she oversaw the creation and launch of multiple worldwide office locations for the travel company.
“For many years, Helene Keeley has been an important partner in helping our agency provide a safe and sound regulatory environment for public gaming in Delaware and indeed the nation,” said Lottery Director Vernon Kirk, “so I’m pleased and excited to have her join the great management team we have here at the State Lottery Office.”
