Jones is a graduate of The university of Florida, served as an Army officer, and headed the lottery from 1981 to 1985 under then Governor Jim Thompson.
Jones then founded a marketing firm that assisted forms of gaming. He was a consultant for lotteries in 13 states and some other countries.
The lottery ended its 2011 fiscal year with record sales of almost $2.3 billion. For the first time, a private firm-- Northstar Lottery Group-- is managing the operations after signing a 10-year contract.
