Meet the Secretary
CYNTHIA F. O'CONNELL
SECRETARY OF THE FLORIDA LOTTERY
Cynthia F. O'Connell was named Secretary of the Florida Lottery by Governor Rick Scott on February 9, 2011. Secretary O'Connell brings to the Florida Lottery an extensive background in the public and private sector including significant brand development at universities and financial institutions. She returns to the Florida Lottery after previously leading efforts to implement instant and online games shortly after the creation of the agency.
She most recently concluded 10 years of public service as an inaugural member of the University of Florida's Board of Trustees. While in that role, Mrs. O'Connell was a catalyst in helping modernize the university's overall public image.
Secretary O'Connell also served as General Manager/Senior Vice President of Hill & Knowlton, a global communications and marketing firm located in New York, whose 70th office she opened in Tallahassee in 2004.
In 1996, she served as Information Manager of Olympic Athletes Village and Director of the Olympic Torch Relay for the Atlanta Committee for Olympic Games. As General Manager of BSMG Worldwide (now Weber Shandwick Worldwide), a leading global public relations agency, she developed two international pavilions promoting trade and tourism for the Nagano, Japan and Sydney, Australia Olympic Games. Cynthia began her professional career as the advertising manager of First Florida Banks, Incorporated.
In her free time, Secretary O'Connell serves as Chairwoman of The Florida House on Capitol Hill, the first and only State Embassy in Washington D.C. The non-profit, non-partisan organization provides opportunities for Florida's citizens to enrich their appreciation and knowledge of U.S. government.
A graduate of Florida State University, Cynthia O'Connell's undergraduate studies were centered in the fields of Communications and Journalism. She holds a Certificate in post-graduate financial services marketing from the School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
Her penchant for public service and solid belief in education is long-established through her late husband, Stephen C. O'Connell, who was a former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court and sixth president of the University of Florida. Mrs. O'Connell spearheaded the efforts to create the Stephen C. O'Connell Supreme Court Reading Room at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. The room provides much needed study space for law school students in the recently expanded Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center.
Cynthia O'Connell is focused on ensuring that “sound business principles” continue to guide the Florida Lottery as one of the most successful lotteries nationwide, while at the same time rebranding the nearly quarter century old lottery to ensure long-term viability. Mrs. O'Connell is committed to continuing the Florida Lottery's mission of generating as much additional funds as possible for the benefit of Florida's education system.