Rebecca Dirden Mattingly was appointed the Secretary of the Florida Lottery, by Governor Jeb Bush on March 5, 2003. Secretary Mattingly brings to the Florida Lottery an extensive background in management, program development, and policy and budget. Her diversified business knowledge is attributed to her 13-year track record in both the public and private sectors.
Secretary Mattingly has maintained the Florida Lottery as a multi-billion dollar state revenue resource where customer value, public trust and an unwavering commitment to the enhancement of public education are cultivated and celebrated. She has upheld the Lottery’s mission of maximizing education revenues in a manner consonant with the dignity of the state and the welfare of its citizens.
Leader in the Lottery Industry
Under Secretary Mattingly’s direction, the Florida Lottery remains the top performing U.S. lottery in terms of total net transfers to the state, transfers as a percentage of total revenue, expenses as a percentage of total transfers, and per capita transfers to the state. To this end, she has set a goal of transferring a minimum of $1 billion to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund annually. Her leadership and commitment to progress can best be expressed in the Florida Lottery’s core values of Service, Excellence, Growth, Respect and Integrity.
In an effort to seek out and secure new business opportunities for the sale of Lottery products, Secretary Mattingly created the Business and Product Development Unit. The unit was created to ensure maximum sales potential for Lottery products and administer retailer-focused contracting, communications and support programs. Moreover, this unit endeavors to expand the Lottery’s presence in hotels, convention centers and tourist areas.
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In August of 2003, Secretary Mattingly presided over the largest gaming system conversion in the history of the domestic lottery industry by introducing the new provider of On-line gaming system and services, GTECH Corporation. GTECH was selected to design, construct and operate the on-line gaming system that runs the Florida Lottery’s computerized games including FLORIDA LOTTO™, MEGA MONEY™, FANTASY 5®, PLAY 4™ and CASH 3®. The new gaming system is technologically superior to the previous one and is expected to save the state more than $11 million annually in payments to the gaming system vendor. This system was chosen to provide state-of-the-art retailer and player convenience, and to expand Lottery distribution channels.
Continually seeking opportunities for improvement, Secretary Mattingly spearheaded efforts to redesign the MEGA MONEY game in January 2004. Since its debut, the new MEGA MONEY game far exceeded expectations. In its first month, sales were more than double that of previous same-day averages. The average number of winners was also double that of the old MEGA MONEY game.
Business Leader
Prior to her appointment as Secretary of the Lottery, Mattingly served as film commissioner in the Governor’s Office of Film and Entertainment. In this position, Mattingly was responsible for rebuilding the state’s agency for the economic development of the motion picture industry in Florida and fostering a fertile business climate for the industry to thrive.
During her tenure, she was instrumental in boosting the economic development of the state's motion picture industry; effectively lobbied and secured passage of legislation to create the Entertainment Industry Tax Exemption; and advocated for the growth of Florida's digital entertainment economy. In the same manner, Secretary Mattingly also lobbied successfully for incentives for designated rural and urban areas of Florida, giving them the ability to promote the expansion of film and entertainment companies.
Through her leadership and partnership with the industry, the state realized more than $2 billion in total revenue generated by Florida’s film industry. While serving as film commissioner, she oversaw the production of several hit movies including: “Bad Boys 2” (Sony), which grossed more than $138 million; “Out of Time” (MGM), which grossed more than $40 million; and “B.A.S.I.C.” (Columbia Pictures), which grossed more than $26 million. Other projects she was responsible for include “Sunshine State” (Sony Pictures Classics), “Tigerland” (20th Century Fox), and “Things Behind the Sun” (Showtime).
Commitment to Education
Secretary Mattingly’s passion for public service is deep-rooted. She believes in the value of mentoring and realizes the impact that it can make in the life of a child. This principle is manifested through her steadfast commitment to the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative by motivating more than 90 Lottery employees to mentor in schools throughout the State of Florida and has supported education sponsorships with promotional dollars. Some of these sponsorships include: the Education Expo, Take Stock In Children, Just Read, Florida! and Teacher of the Year Roundtable.
Under Secretary Mattingly’s leadership, a new education program for the youth, the “Bright Futures Ambassador Program,” was created. The program increases awareness of financial assistance to high school seniors preparing for a post-secondary education.
Community Service
Since 1999, Secretary Mattingly has served on various valuable organizations. She currently serves on the boards of directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Tallahassee and Take Stock in Children. Past commitments include serving as chairperson of the Digital Media Advisory Council, Internet Technology Task Force; serving as a member of both the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council and the Media Arts Grant Panel for the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; and serving on the board of directors of the Women In Film Central Florida Chapter.
Secretary Mattingly graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She, her husband Fred and their two children reside in Tallahassee.
