Salaries for lottery officials among the highest
Monday, February 13, 2006 posted 10:18 AM EST
RALEIGH — Salaries for top lottery officials are among the highest in state government.
The executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery, Tom Shaheen, will make nearly double the salary of Gov. Mike Easley. And six other top lottery officials will make more than the governor’s yearly salary.
“What makes the lottery so special that this is necessary?” asked John Rustin, director of governmental relations for the N.C. Family Policy Council, an organization that opposes the lottery.
Eddie Davis, president of the N.C. Association of Educators, which supports the lottery, agreed that the salaries seem to be high compared to other state government salaries.
“It did catch my eye that these were some very high salaries,” Davis said.. “I am assuming that this is the relative going rate for people who are in these types of positions.”
Shaheen’s salary, set by the N.C. Lottery Commission, is $235,000 a year. In addition, Shaheen is eligible for a $50,000 bonus if the lottery is up and running by April 5, a feat that lottery officials say they plan to achieve.
Easley’s salary, set by statute, is $123,819 a year. The salary for Council of State members is $109,279 a year. Non-elected department heads make $106,765 a year.
Carla Archie, the executive deputy director in charge of legal and security issues, is the second highest-paid lottery employee. Her salary is $145,000.
Two other executive deputy directors, Robin Diehl (finance and administration) and Lou Ann Russell (marketing and advertising) make $130,000 a year.
Alice Garland, executive deputy director for legislative and corporate communication, makes $128,000. Two other executive deputy directors, Sam Hammett (sales) and Deborah Doty (lottery operations), make $125,000 a year.
Eight directors have salaries ranging from $80,000 to $92,000.
Pam Walker, one of those eight directors, said most of the top-salaried lottery officials are working 12- to 14-hour days.
She said she divided her salary a week ago by the number of hours she worked and said her hourly rate was $19. Her annual salary is $85,000.
“Most of us are working seven days a week,” Walker said. “Everybody is working their tails off to make sure this thing goes off on time.”
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