Davis Picks 7-Eleven Executive as Director of State Lottery
Gov. Gray Davis on Tuesday appointed a 7-Eleven Inc. executive to the $118,514-a-year job as director of the California State Lottery.
Joan M. Wilson, 68, of West Covina has been a 7-Eleven government affairs specialist since 1972. Her appointment must be confirmed by the state Senate.
She is not well known among state lawmakers who oversee the lottery, and her appointment came as a surprise Tuesday.
The appointment “has a neutral cast for me,” said Sen. Don Perata (D-Oakland).
“My interest is a concern that the lottery has systematically isolated a certain population to promote its product: minorities and poor communities. The lottery staff has been very reluctant to come forth with information that they are or aren’t doing that.”
Perata said that if Wilson “is willing to become engaged in [divulging such information], she’ll have a great ally in me. I don’t have any problem with gambling. But if we’re going to sanction and manage it, I want to know how we’re doing it.”
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