Election Assistance Commission Appoints New Director With Security-Focused Background

The Election Assistance Commission on Tuesday announced that Steven Frid—the security director at the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office—has been appointed as the new executive director of the agency beginning on Jan. 30. 

In a press release, EAC called Frid “a long-term public servant who has dedicated his career to collecting and analyzing data about risks to federal employees, facilities, information and operations within the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education.”

“Steven Frid will be joining the EAC during a very exciting and pivotal time for the agency as we prepare for the 2024 elections,” EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks, Vice Chair Christy McCormick, and Commissioners Ben Hovland and Donald Palmer said in a joint statement. “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.”

As EAC’s executive director, Frid will, in part, be expected to “prepare policy for commissioner approval, implement policies once made and take responsibility for administrative matters.”

The EAC was established in 2002 following passage of the Help America Vote Act, which sought to improve the nation’s voting systems and processes following the 2000 presidential election. The independent agency, in part, assists states with election administration, adopts voluntary voting system guidelines and certifies voting systems. EAC also provides state and local election officials with voting system security guidelines to help safeguard the integrity of the voting process.

As Federal Student Aid’s security director, Frid “built the first personnel security division and developed a technology solution bringing automation, accountability, cost savings, and case management support to various parts of the agency,” according to the EAC news release. Frid also previously served as a supervisory personnel security specialist at the Secret Service, as well as in security-focused roles with OPM and the Transportation Security Administration.

Frid will replace Mark Robbins, who has served as EAC’s interim executive director since last February.