The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has named Steven Frid the agency’s new executive director, succeeding Mark Robbins who has been acting director of EAC for the past 11 months. Frid is due to start the new job on Jan. 30.
EAC is an independent commission created by Congress to foster secure, accurate, and accessible elections in the U.S. by developing guidance to implement the 2002 Help America Vote Act. The commission has an outsized role in improving election security through its voting system testing and certification program.
Frid’s professional experience appears well-suited to the EAC’s security-related functions.
Since 2018, Frid has been director of personnel security for the Facilities Security and Emergency Management Division at the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid operation, carrying out the operation’s personnel security/suitability, physical, and information security programs.
Before that, he was a security specialist with the U.S. Secret Service, a security policy analyst at the U.S. Coast Guard, and an investigations case analyst at the Office of Personnel Management.
“Steven Frid will be joining the EAC during a very exciting and pivotal time for the agency as we prepare for the 2024 elections,” said EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks in a joint statement with the three other EAC commissioners.
“His leadership, innovative work, and expertise at a range of federal agencies will be an asset as the EAC continues to grow and work to better serve election officials, voters, and other stakeholders,” they said.
