Yahoo – Evidence of Jan Stewart’s contribution to the WA community can be found in every corner of the State. From a kindergarten playground in Albany, to the spectacular treetop walk in Kings Park, a Men’s Shed in Gingin and a youth centre in Midland, the Lotterywest chief executive has overseen the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of community grants in her 22 years in the role.
At the same time, she has had the rewarding job of handing over millions in winnings to lucky Lotto players. This week, 27 years after the former Princess Margaret Hospital social worker “fell into a job” at the then Lotteries Commission as a grants consultant, Ms Stewart announced to her staff that she will retire as chief executive at the end of the year.
Her passion for the role is evident in the way she talks about the community groups, Lotto retailers, her staff and the Lotto winners she has come into contact with during the 22 years. She admits she “didn’t know anything about running the lottery” but quickly immersed herself in the industry after being hired as a “temporary” chief executive.
“It was never the job for me but I just became completely engaged in it,” she said yesterday. Ms Stewart said while the growth of online gambling presented a challenge for the future, she was confident the community’s long-running connection with Lotterywest – the only State-owned lottery system in Australia – would remain.
“We are very lucky to have a lottery that belongs to the community,” she said.
