Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) (“Pollard Banknote”) is very pleased to announce that May Scheve Reardon will be joining Pollard Banknote as Vice President, Government Relations, heading up government relations and legislative affairs efforts. Prior to joining Pollard Banknote, Ms. Reardon served as the Director of the Missouri Lottery for 13 years, where she provided exceptional leadership both to the Lottery and within the lottery industry. In 2019, she was elected to the Public Gaming Research Institute (“PGRI”) Lottery Industry Hall of Fame in recognition of her outstanding contributions.
As Director of the Missouri Lottery, Ms. Reardon increased the Lottery’s annual contributions to public education from $250 million to over $400 million and started many new initiatives including the introduction of cashless sales for lottery, the establishment of a highly successful Million Dollar Retailer Club, and new measures to fight illegal gaming in the state.
Ms. Reardon has also held numerous other leadership positions within the industry including serving as President of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (“NASPL”) and the Multi-State Lottery Association (“MUSL”), which operates Powerball on behalf of its member lotteries. In these roles, her impressive accomplishments include:
Helping to start the industry-wide API initiative to expand lottery distribution including future in-lane lottery sales.
Working to improve industry relations with the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Gaming Association.
Spearheading national government relations efforts to protect states’ rights to utilize the internet for lottery sales.
Leading efforts to develop and implement new strategic plans for NASPL and MUSL that have helped focus the industry on shared priorities that will help preserve lottery integrity and increase profits for beneficiaries now, and in the future.
“After working closely with Pollard Banknote for many years in various roles throughout the lottery industry, I am excited to be joining their organization,” said Ms. Reardon. “Pollard Banknote has always proven to be a forward-thinking company that continuously provides outstanding products and services to lotteries around the world, and I look forward to being a part of that.”
“We are thrilled to welcome May Scheve Reardon to our team,” said Jennifer Westbury, Executive Vice President, Sales & Customer Development at Pollard Banknote. “May’s stellar reputation precedes her as she brings an unmatched wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role and will serve as a valuable resource to our customers. Her in-depth understanding of the industry and all facets of the lottery business will ensure that Pollard Banknote continues to offer the best support to our lottery partners in order to maximize funds for the good causes they support.”
Ms. Reardon is currently the Chair of the Women in Lottery Leadership (“WILL”) mentorship program and serves as Chair of the NASPL iLottery subcommittee.
Prior to entering the lottery industry, Ms. Reardon served in a leadership role on the Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering and the Ways and Means Committee in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1990-2002. She was the youngest woman elected to the Missouri General Assembly and went on to serve as a Missouri State Representative for 12 years, Chair of the Democratic Party for four years and then became the first woman to run the Missouri Lottery.