Secretary of State Kim Wyman has announced the appointment of Shannon Cortez as the new deputy director of elections.

Cortez will take her new role on Monday after 18 years of experience in elections administration, both with Pierce County and King County, where she has been deputy elections director. In Pierce, she worked with Auditors Cathy Pearsall-Stipek, Pat McCarthy, Jan Shabro and Julie Anderson, and in King, she assisted Julie Wise. Cortez succeeds Allyson Ruppenthal, who has joined Thurston County government.

Wyman said Cortez is well known in the elections community as a talented manager and administrator with broad experience in elections reform.

Elections Director Lori Augino said she personally worked with Cortez for 13 years.

“During that time, I watched her passion for elections administration grow. She learned the work from the ground up, starting in voter registration and customer service. She quickly moved up and was responsible for designing the voters’ pamphlet, then ballots, and eventually supervising the Pierce County Elections team. Most recently she’s filled the role of Deputy Director in King County Elections. We are so lucky to benefit from all of her years of experience and leadership as we work collectively to continue to improve Washington State Elections.”