Gov. John Lynch today announced the members of the Gaming Study Commission, created through Executive Order last month to conduct a review of various models for expanded gaming in New Hampshire.

Gov. Lynch had previously named Andrew Lietz of Rye as chairman of the commission.

“The members of this commission are people dedicated to New Hampshire and its quality of life. They have agreed to do the hard work necessary to gather reliable data and facts, and perform unbiased and detailed analysis about gaming proposals and how they may impact New Hampshire in order to contribute to a more informed public debate on this issue,” Gov. Lynch said. “I thank them for agreeing to serve.”

The Commission will consist of 15 members and include public members, representatives of the legislature, law enforcement, the business and tourism communities, local government, labor and social service organizations. Gov. Lynch announced 14 members of the Commission today; the final member is pending.

The Executive Order directs the commission to undertake a thorough and comprehensive review of various models for expanded gaming and their potential to generate state revenues, as well as an assessment of the social, economic and public safety impacts of gaming options on the quality of life in New Hampshire.

The Commission’s first meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation in Concord.

The members of the commission are:

• Andrew Lietz, Chair
• Sen. Bob Odell, Lempster
• Rep. Jim Craig, Manchester
• Mayor Tom Ferrini, Portsmouth
• Former state Rep. Ned Densmore, Franconia
• Former state Sen. Joseph Foster, Nashua
• Former state Rep. David Babson, Ossipee
• Police Chief David Bailey, Bedford
• Mark MacKenzie, Manchester, president of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO
• Bonnie Newman, Portsmouth, former Interim President of the University of New Hampshire and executive dean of the Kennedy School of Government
• Michelline Dufort, Concord, vice president of the Office of Advancement for New England College and former executive director of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association
• Maggie Pritchard, Laconia, executive director of Genesis Behavioral Health in Laconia
• Mary Heath, Manchester, dean of the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University and former state deputy commissioner of Education.
• Karen Pollard, Rochester, economic development director for the City of Rochester