Deputy Director of Marketing, West Virginia Lottery
LinkedIn: Nikki Orcutt
Written by Bobbie spry
When Nikki Orcutt was a child, she wanted to be a broadcast journalist. “Specifically, I wanted to have my own TV show and replace Oprah Winfrey, whom I was certain would be retired by the time I was ready to take the spotlight,” she explains. Her ambition for greatness has always been a driving factor, and while her career has taken a detour from television, she has created an alternate path to success.
Growing up, Orcutt says she didn’t like or need people to make decisions for her. “By the time I was in junior high, I not only knew where I wanted to attend college but also the career path I would follow,” she explains. “However, despite my choices, I knew my mom would have the final say, which was to choose a career path that would allow me to support myself.”
Orcutt began reaping the benefits of hard work early on. She graduated magna cum laude in 2001 from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism and public relations. Now the deputy director of marketing for the West Virginia Lottery, she oversees all marketing, sales and advertising functions of the lottery’s instant and online gaming portfolio.
In addition to her strong work ethic, Orcutt believes in the importance of helping others. She has served on the American Heart Association’s board and the United Way of Central West Virginia’s Citizens Review Committee, and she has volunteered with Vision Shared and The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. She also works with West Virginia State University students in Dr. Tee Ford-Amed’s class, assisting them with marketing projects and special assignments each year.
Her favorite organization to work with, though, is the YWCA. There, she volunteers with the Guys Night Out event and sits on the communications committee, where she works with a team of communications professionals to further enhance the Y’s brand across all of its programs. “I chose to get involved with the YWCA because many of the great programs—particularly those that serve battered women and their children—are all things that hit close to home,” says Orcutt. “Even though my mom had a good job, if it wasn’t for my grandparents, my mom, brother, sister and I could have easily been in need of the invaluable services these programs provide.”
It’s a great feat when one can incorporate family time with community service, and Orcutt has done just that. Over the past two years, she’s helped coordinate classroom activities and events at Sacred Heart Grade School where her daughters, Nadia and Julia, are students. “Besides a grande White Mocha from Starbucks each day, there are two people that keep me motivated—my two little girls,” she says. “I believe there is no better way to teach them what I expect from them than to walk the talk. It is both my privilege and obligation to teach them what it means to be a strong, independent woman.”
Having grown up in the small, unincorporated community of Rand, Orcutt feels blessed to come from a place that fosters pride and talent. She attributes many of her greatest personal characteristics—honesty, strength, humor and leadership—to those who have influenced her throughout her life.
“I got where I am now because of a great support system but most notably because I was blessed with a strong, smart and unselfish mother who set the bar of success so high that to this day I’m still constantly working to reach it,” she says. “I know I could never give my mom back what she has invested in me, but I promised myself one thing—I would always work hard to make her proud.”
What is your favorite . . . ?
Color – Purple
Food – Baked Manicotti w/ Meat Sauce
Cartoon character – Mickey Mouse
Ice cream – Mint Chocolate Chip
Animal – Zebra
Book – When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up
App – Starbucks
Midnight snack – Pringles and a Glass of Wine (LOL!)
TV show – Scandal
Movie – Lion King
Smell – Baby Lotion
Sport team – The Ohio State Buckeyes
Car – Range Rover
Pet – Dog
Place – Grand Cayman
Season – Fall
Local Restaurant – Fazio’s
Era – 20th Century
