Field Marketing Representative – Advanced
Wisconsin Lottery
Darlene Carson has been an integral part of the Wisconsin Lottery team for 26 years. She has held numerous positions within the Wisconsin Lottery and has built lasting relationships with those she has worked alongside. Her coworkers say she is always positive, easy to approach, willing to help, and has an infectious laugh.
She began her career with the Lottery as a member of the Tel-Sell group, assisting retailers with orders and answering their questions. From there, Darlene willingly made a geographic move to help manage the warehouse in Milwaukee. There she assisted with the day-to-day operations of the warehouse to keep Lottery equipment and products flowing smoothly, and assisted with the Super 2nd Chance draw. Additionally, she was a huge part of the success of the weekly broadcasted Money Game Show. Players won a chance to play the game if their scratch ticket contained three "TV" symbols. Darlene's role was to organize the contestants for each show, travel with them from the hotel to the studio, help them to their seats, get them all "warmed up" for the show, and hand out prizes.
Darlene truly enjoyed the time interacting with players, and after the game show ended she transitioned to a Field Marketing Representative (FMR) position, where she remains today. She has really connected with her retailers and has developed close relationships with many. This is very apparent when she walks into a store, because the retailers come out to get a hug from her. This relationship allows her the ability to suggest and implement changes in-store to grow the Lottery presence and the retailer's sales.
Darlene strives to give all her customers the best possible service and is willing to go above and beyond her normal duties. She has helped with the onboarding of new reps by having them shadow her during their first few weeks in the field, showing them her approach to field work and training them on equipment and software. She is always willing to assist other FMRs in their territories when needed and encourages them to reach out to her if they have questions. She has shared her knowledge and expertise by serving on multiple Lottery committees over the course of her FMR career, including the Short-Term Incentive Committee which develops the incentives offered to retailers and the FMR Advisory Council that provides field perspective on questions posed by other Lottery sections. Darlene also participated in the Lottery employee hiring process over the years through applicant rating panels and candidate interview teams.
When the opportunity arises, Darlene jumps at the chance to assist the Special Events team with radio remotes, annual tailgate events, and festivals like the Wisconsin State Fair. Wisconsin hosted the 2023 NASPL Annual Conference , and Darlene assisted with planning by serving on the Decorations and Entertainment committees. She also volunteered at the conference to set up and take down decorations as needed and assist attendees in finding their way around the conference.
Darlene's passion and versatility have made her an invaluable member of the Wisconsin Lottery team. She is always ready to help, looks at every situation with a positive attitude, and enjoys the work she does. Her Lottery family and retailers have the utmost respect for her and truly look forward to working with her.