Parisot is a Great Falls native and worked as a Field Representative for former Congressman Pat Williams, as an Aide to Senate Minority Leader Mike Halligan, and served as the Deputy Secretary of State under Secretary of State Mike Cooney.
Prior to his appointment to head the Lottery by Governor Brian Schweitzer in January 2005, he was the Information Technology Administrator for Attorney General Mike McGrath, and ran his own website design business, BigSkyWeb.com.
Parisot attended Great Falls area schools and graduated from Hahn American High School in Germany. He received a bachelor's in communications/public relations from the University of Idaho, a bachelor's in biology and a secondary education certification from the University of Montana, and a Master's of Education in Learning and Technology from Western Governors University. A former military intelligence officer, Parisot served in the Washington Army National Guard. He is married to Tawna Parisot; they have three children.
Montana Lottery Mission Statement
The mission of the Montana Lottery is to maximize the transfer of its net revenue
to the state's General Fund by providing products that meet the expectations of
consumers and the state of Montana while adhering to the highest standards of
security and integrity, which is critical to maintaining public confidence in the
agency and its products.
Enterprise Fund
The Montana Lottery is an enterprise fund, which means that its operations are
financed and operated in a manner similar to private enterprise where the intent
is to provide goods or services to the general public. That is, the Lottery receives
no funding from the state of Montana but rather generates money for the state General
Fund.
As with any business, the Lottery's net revenue—its "profit"—is defined as the
excess of revenues over expenses. That "profit" is transferred to the state's
General Fund.
Goals for Fiscal Years 2010-2011
1. To continue to maximize the transfer of net revenues to the General Fund
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$11.0 million in Fiscal Year 2010
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$11.2 million in Fiscal Year 2011
This will be accomplished through the introduction of new games, changes to
existing games, and the control of operating expenses.
2. To maintain public trust in Lottery games and products
The Montana Lottery has established and maintains an extensive security system that
governs all aspects of the games it offers. This system is under continuous review,
and upgrades are instituted whenever appropriate.
3. To provide excellent service to players and to retailers who sell our products
The Montana Lottery will continue to offer games that players want to play and
to maintain convenient locations for ticket purchases. The Lottery works closely with
its retail outlets to provide point–of–sale and display materials, inventory control,
and technical assistance.
The Montana Lottery is administratively attached to the Department of Administration.
