By Kate Northrop

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Sarah Monnett Taylor will take on a new responsibility as the Board President of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) for the 2021 fiscal year while continuing to fulfill her role as the Executive Director of the Hoosier Lottery.

It is the first time anyone from the Indiana Hoosier Lottery serves in the role and marks the appointment of the 31st MUSL Board President.

In 2013, she was originally appointed as the Hoosier Lottery's Executive Director by former Governor Mike Pence and was reappointed by Governor Eric Holcomb in 2016. Most recently, Taylor served as MUSL's Vice President.

MUSL is a non-profit government-benefit association owned and operated by its 38 member lotteries. The organization provides a variety of services and functions such as game design, advertising and marketing, and management of game finances. It also owns the multi-state Powerball lottery game and is responsible for overseeing changes and rules of the game.

"It's my honor to help lead the 38 member lotteries with a strategic plan to help each one responsibly maximize profits for all the good causes they support," Taylor said in a news release. "Powerball is the number one product of the Multi-State Lottery Association and has successfully helped generate billions for good causes."

Taylor explained that, while member lotteries offer the MUSL-owned Powerball game, the profits individual state lotteries generate from the game are retained to fund state projects or other purposes approved by legislature, such as scholarships and road maintenance.

"In Indiana alone, it helps us contribute to police, firefighter pension fund and teacher's retirement funds to the tune of $30 million each," Taylor said.

According to an annual report, the lottery paid out a record-breaking $312 million to the state after operating expenses last year.

Since Powerball's launch in 1992, Indiana has had the most Powerball jackpot winners of any state — 39 to-date.