Mark A. Robbins to Serve as EAC’s Next General Counsel
Posted on September 21, 2010
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced today that Mark A. Robbins will serve as the commission’s next general counsel. Robbins has 20 years of experience in public policy, federal administrative law and executive management. He comes to EAC from IDS International, a national security consulting firm, where he trained U.S. Army personnel on rule of law, governance and political issues before their deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The commissioners and I are very pleased to welcome Mr. Robbins to the EAC," said EAC Chair Donetta Davidson. "His experience will be a great asset to the agency."
As EAC’s chief legal officer, Robbins will provide advice to commissioners and senior leadership on legal issues affecting the commission’s activities and operations. His appointment begins September 27, 2010. EAC’s general counsel serves a four-year term and is selected through a vote of the commission.
Prior to his tenure at IDS International, Robbins served the U.S. Department of State as the senior rule of law advisor for the Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. During this tour he served on a United Nations sponsored international election observation team for the January, 2009, Iraqi provincial elections. In honor of his service, Robbins won a State Department meritorious service award from the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.
Robbins is also the former executive director of the White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and the former general counsel for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). One of his responsibilities was overseeing OPM’s coordination with the Department of Justice for staffing election observation teams to covered jurisdictions under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Robbins holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international affairs and Juris Doctor from George Washington University. He is a member of the California and District of Columbia bars.
EAC is an independent commission created by the HAVA. EAC serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting equipment. It is also charged with developing and maintaining a national mail voter registration form. The three EAC commissioners are Chair Donetta Davidson, Gracia Hillman and Gineen Bresso. There is one vacancy on the commission.