Woosley resigns as lottery director

LITTLE ROCK — Bishop Woosley, who has been the director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery since February 2012, has submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 3, to pursue other opportunities, state Department of Finance and Administration Secretary Larry Walther announced Tuesday afternoon.

Woosley informed Walther of his resignation Monday, and Woosley later provided an email confirming his resignation, said Scott Hardin, a spokesman for the finance department. Hardin said Walther didn’t ask Woosley to resign.

In an email Monday night to Walther, Woosley wrote “it has been an absolute pleasure working with you over the past several years and I appreciate you allowing me to serve in this capacity.

“I am proud of our accomplishments and am certain that the lottery staff will continue to do great things,” Woosley wrote.

Walther said Woosley played a critical role in the lottery’s success since it started in 2009 and helped raise a record amount of scholarships for Arkansas’ college students.

Woosley said Tuesday he plans to “take a little break and find a job.

“I don’t have any plans at this point,” he said. He’s paid a salary of $173,382 a year as the lottery director, according to the Arkansas transparency website.

Sen. Jim Hickey, R-Texarkana, said Tuesday afternoon, “I thought he was taking something else and that was the extent of it.”

He said he didn’t learn of Woosley’s resignation until earlier Tuesday afternoon.

Hardin said Woosley will remain with the lottery through Aug. 3 and the lottery’s chief legal counsel, Michael Helms, will immediately fill the interim director position to allow for a smooth transition.

“Regarding whether there will be a national search, this determination has not been made,” Hardin said.

Woosley started as the lottery’s procurement director in 2009 and then had chief legal counsel added to his duties shortly thereafter.

In February 2012, the then-Arkansas Lottery Commission voted 6-2 to promote him to director.