Attorney appointed acting commissioner of the Lottery

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced July 21 that Jessica Weare will serve as the acting commissioner of the Michigan Lottery.

Weare is currently deputy legal counsel to Whitmer, advising on a range of legal issues confronting the State of Michigan, including lottery, gaming, and Tribal affairs. Prior to returning to her home state, Weare was associate general counsel for Global Trade Compliance at Facebook (now Meta). Earlier in her legal career, Jessica spent nearly a decade as an attorney-adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State. Immediately after law school, she served as a judicial clerk to Justice Dana Fabe on the Alaska Supreme Court.

Weare received a bachelor of arts degree from Alma College, where she was a Truman and Fulbright Scholar, and her juris doctor from Yale Law School.

“It is an honor to carry forward the mission of the Michigan Lottery alongside the countless public servants and Lottery retailers, many of which are small businesses,” said Weare. “The Lottery has been a vital source of funding for Michigan’s public schools for decades, including recent years when it has delivered over $1 billion of revenue to support students. This will continue to drive our focus as we support schools across the state.”

Under Commissioner Brian Neill’s leadership, the Lottery contributed more than $6 billion to the School Aid Fund, supporting public education in Michigan. The Lottery also set several records, including posting an all-time high School Aid Fund contribution of $1.419 billion.

“I am honored to have served in Gov. Whitmer’s cabinet as Lottery Commissioner for the last five years,” said Neill. “The success of Lottery would not be possible without the support of our players, retailers, vendors, and dedicated public-service professionals across state government. I am proud to have played a role in the success of Lottery since joining the team in 2013, and look forward to serving the citizens of Grand Rapids on the 61st District Court.”

Neill’s last day is July 30 as he is set to take his role on the bench of the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids on July 31.

Weare will become acting commissioner upon his departure.