SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Gardner Gurney, acting director of the Division of the Lottery of New York, has been named a recipient of the Major Peter J. O’Connell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Gaming Research Institute.

The institute is a nationally recognized publishing organization and conference sponsor charged with providing information on legal, political and regulatory matters affecting the lottery industry.

Gurney accepted the award on Sept. 10 at PGRI’s Lottery Expo ’15 held in Miami Beach, Fla.

A native of Rangeley, Maine, Gurney is a U.S. Air Force veteran. He received his bachelor’s degree from Husson College in Bangor.