NCPG names interim director as Kalshi membership draws scrutiny

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has named Charles H. Jeffers II as its interim executive director, SBC Americas reported, filling a leadership gap left by Heather Maurer's abrupt resignation in September 2026.

Jeffers founded The Jeffers Group, a consultancy specialising in interim executive leadership, governance, strategic operations and organisational culture, according to the NCPG's announcement on 26 October. His prior roles include chief operating officer and interim chief executive of Destination Marketing Association International between 2014 and 2016, COO of Visit Baltimore from 2017 to 2021, and chief executive of the Bermuda Tourism Authority from 2021 to 2022. He also served as interim executive director of the American Occupational Therapy Association from 2023 to 2024 and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Maine Central Institute.

NCPG Board President Derek Longmeier said Jeffers' "depth of experience in understanding culture dynamics, operational demands, and board governance is key to our selecting him to lead as Interim Executive Director of NCPG," adding that he would focus on "operations aligned with strategy and transparency, and culture reflecting NCPG values."

The council plans to open a search for a permanent executive director in January 2027, making it the organisation's third permanent leader in two years. Longtime executive director Keith Whyte departed in January 2025 after 27 years, and the board subsequently appointed Maurer, formerly chief executive of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, in November 2025. Maurer resigned after just ten months, with no public reason given; the NCPG says it does not discuss personnel matters as a matter of policy.

Maurer's exit followed the earlier departure of Director of Programs Jaime Costello, who wrote on LinkedIn that "over the past year, the environment shifted in ways I could no longer reconcile with how I believe this work should be done."

The leadership turnover has coincided with scrutiny of the NCPG's decision to accept a $2 million donation from Kalshi and to make the prediction markets company the inaugural member of a new Financial Services & Trading Subcategory. According to the NCPG, that subcategory was intended to address gambling-like features in prediction markets, credit-based products and other trading platforms, and discussions about creating it predated both Maurer's appointment and the council's talks with Kalshi.

The NCPG says donation funds are directed toward developing consumer protection standards, public education on gambling and trading risks, and promoting responsible trading policies and access to support services.

Member organisations in Michigan, Nevada, Ohio and Washington have withdrawn from the NCPG citing the Kalshi relationship, all four states currently engaged in litigation with the company over the legality of its sports event contracts. Under existing NCPG governance policy, new donations or memberships do not require board approval, though that may be reassessed under new leadership. The board has not altered its position on the Kalshi relationship despite the pushback.

Several longstanding NCPG members, including Betr, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel and Underdog, now offer prediction markets alongside their gambling products. The NCPG's website lists Betr and gambling-related financial counselling organisation GamFin as members of the Financial Services & Trading Subcategory alongside Kalshi.

The NCPG maintains that donations and memberships do not amount to endorsement, that donors and members have no role in shaping its policy positions, and that it remains neutral on the legal status of gambling-like products. The organisation has stated that prediction markets are "functionally gambling," and has said their growth across the sector has prompted the new membership category.