Gee appointed permanent director of Va. Lottery

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday he has appointed Kelly T. Gee as permanent executive director of the Virginia Lottery, after she served as acting director since January.

When she joined the agency in 2018, Gee served as manager of government relations, where she was responsible for managing legislative outreach efforts. She assumed the permanent position on June 6.

Gee served as former House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox’s deputy chief of staff after eight years as an employee in the Virginia General Assembly. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a legislative associate for Stateside Associates.

She holds an undergraduate degree in government from William & Mary and master’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech. Gee replaces former executive director Kevin Hall, who left at the end of former Gov. Ralph Northam’s term in January.

Gee assumes the role amid a battle over a second casino referendum in Richmond. The General Assembly’s two-year budget, passed on June 2 and currently with the governor, includes a provision that would delay a second casino vote in Richmond, where voters defeated a referendum last year. The language would not allow the referendum to appear on Richmond’s ballots until November 2023 — leaving the door open for a possible casino in Petersburg instead.

The lottery also is responsible for issuing casino licenses for permanent and temporary resorts. In April, the Virginia Lottery Board awarded its first license for the Hard Rock Bristol casino, which is preparing to open a temporary casino in July.

Editor’s note: This article has been amended to correct the name of consulting firm Stateside Associates. The earlier article identified the firm as Statewide Associates.