Courtney Crowder, chair of the N.C. Education Lottery Commission, made the following statement on the death of Tony Rand, who served as a member and a chair of the commission.

“The intelligence, dedication and vision of Senator Tony Rand allowed him to leave an indelible mark on this state and the North Carolina Education Lottery. In fact, he championed the creation of this state lottery to support one of his and our greatest cause, public education.

As a member of the N.C. Senate, Tony played a vital role in the creation of the Education Lottery in 2005. Of course, he then helped lead the lottery, serving as a member and chair from 2017 to 2019. It was both a pleasure and an honor to serve with Tony on the commission. I know he was proud to see that so many enjoyed playing the lottery he helped to create and that it successfully raised money for education, $7 billion so far and counting.

Over decades of public service, Tony proved himself again and again to be a great friend of education in North Carolina. Those who knew him and the state he loved will greatly miss his friendship, humor and intellect.”