Celeste Witzel was elected chair of the Missouri Lottery Commission last week.

Witzel replaces Barbara Pickering of Mexico, who served as the chair since June 2005.

Witzel has served on the commission since April 2005, after being appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt and being confirmed by the Senate. She is the sixth person to serve as the chair of the Missouri Lottery Commission since it was established in June 1985.

Witzel was born and raised in St. Louis city and moved to St. Louis County in 1988, where she has been active in community affairs and has volunteered her time on many federal, state, and local political campaigns and committees.

A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor of science degree in industrial and organizational psychology, Witzel has been employed by the Washington University School of Medicine since 1990.

Witzel and her husband, Kurt, reside in Oakville.