Mary Neubauer, Iowa Lottery, to retire in June after 26 years of service
Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn noted during the Iowa Lottery's recent annual meeting, the notion of "leaving a legacy of service" was a constant theme throughout the day. There is no question regarding the significant impact and legacy of Mary Neubauer's dedication and contributions to the Iowa Lottery, the State of Iowa, and all those great causes over the years that have benefitted from her service. Our team and the Lottery is stronger because of her service. Thank you, Mary, for being a trusted and valued colleague to us all."
In late June, I will retire from the Iowa Lottery. For nearly 26 years, I’ve been the Lottery’s storyteller and one of its chief strategists. I’ve enjoyed the challenge and nuance of the job tremendously. Time truly does pass in a flash.
You may be thinking: But she’s not old enough to retire! Chronologically, that is true. But mentally, I often feel a thousand years old as I wrestle with the bone-deep exhaustion that has weighed on my days since my son Sergei died eight years ago. It is time to begin a new chapter, one in which Larry and I travel the world, resting and recuperating while absorbing the sights and sounds of this planet we all inhabit.
My last day at the Iowa Lottery will be Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Time and again, I have been proud to be part of a lottery team that demonstrates expertise, commitment to integrity, and caring for everyone with whom we interact. People already knew me as the face of the Iowa Lottery when tragedy catapulted my life into a new and unexpected direction. Sergei’s suicide in 2017 turned my husband, Larry, and me into the advocates we never expected to be.
In Sergei’s obituary, we chose to be open and honest about the toll that mental illness had taken on our son. We didn’t know it at the time, but our decision to share his story would help ignite a conversation still underway today about how we as a state can do better in understanding mental illness and providing help.
And the experience absolutely has led Larry and me to do our best to change hearts and minds when it comes to mental illness.
I’m enormously proud to have played a vital role in the development of Iowa’s first behavioral health system for children. Likewise, it’s been rewarding to move the needle through my advocacy and leadership at organizations including the Iowa chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health at the University of Iowa.
As the Iowa Lottery celebrates its 40th birthday this year, it is beginning its next chapter. The time is right for me to step aside and watch the lottery team carry forward with that work.
Being planners, Larry and I have made sure we can do this – and you KNOW we’ve already got adventures lined up!
It’s like Ferris Bueller said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
In the years to come, I’ll continue to find new stories to tell, and I’ll remain involved in the mental-health work so close to my heart.
Thank you for being part of my journey! Enjoy these pics from through the years, during which my crazy, curly hair has always been on the scene.
Mary Neubauer, 1st Vice President, External Relations and Social Responsibility, Iowa Lottery