Jean Northenor, of Warsaw, has been named to the Lottery Commission by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. She is one of three new commissioners, including Todd Stuart, of Indianapolis, and Paul Thrift, of Terre Haute.

"I'm certainly a novice at this one," she said Friday. "I know the income off the lottery is very important to state government and they'd like to see more of a profit from it."

Lottery profits provide money to the teachers retirement fund, police and fire pension relief fund, property tax replacement fund, tuition support and exise tax relief. If there is anything left, it goes into the state's general fund.

"I'm not much of a lottery player, not much of a gambler," the new commissioner said. "I'll buy scratch-off tickets for placecards at family dinners, for fun. Or I'll pick up a couple for my husband. That's about it."

Northenor served on the Bureau of Motor Vehicle Commission some years ago.

She knows Lottery Director Esther Snyder. The women worked together on the Senate campaign committee, on the Vic Heinhold race and the Ryan Mishler race.

As chairwoman for the commission, Northenor knows the group must meet four times a year but she expects to attend a few more meetings.

"You know, I was one of the people who went to Washington and asked Mitch Daniels to come back and run for governor. I said if he did, I would do anything I could to help. Well, now I've got this," she said, laughing.

"I'm not sure how I feel about gambling. Since the Legislature saw fit to fund a lottery, I don't mind seeing that it's run properly." [[In-content Ad]]