County officials announced she had been tabbed to take over as head of the Weber County Elections Office, replacing Ryan Cowley. Cowley stepped down from the post last December to take over as head of Utah’s Office of Elections.

“Weber County voters are so fortunate to have Lauren join our office. Her unique blend of elections and cybersecurity experience will enhance even further our office’s world-class operations,” said Ricky Hatch, the Weber County clerk-auditor. The elections office is overseen by Hatch.

Shafer, picked after a nationwide search, also worked previously in the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office as the state’s elections security specialist. In that role, a Weber County statement said, she led “elections cybersecurity training” across the state. In her Salt Lake City post, she helped administer city elections there.

Shafer is a Utah native with a master’s degree in homeland security from Northeastern University in Boston.

“Her master’s degree emphasis was on cybersecurity, strategic intelligence and analysis, open-source intelligence, counter-terrorism and ransomware. Her education fits neatly into the ever-increasing cyber focus of election administration,” said the Weber County statement.