Lara Shane
Director of Public Education
Office of Public Affaires, Department of Homeland Security

LARA SHANE

Lara Shane is the Director of Public Education in the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Public Affairs. In that capacity she manages a variety of high profile projects that are designed to educate the American public about the Department's mission, goals and various programs. Among the projects in Shane's portfolio is the department's national public education campaign, Ready, which was developed with the Advertising Council. The campaign is designed to inform and empower citizens about how to prepare for a terrorist attack or other emergency. Other projects include a national media workshop series being undertaken in partnership with RTNDA and the National Academies to improve communication between government and media during a crisis.

Prior to moving to DHS headquarters, Shane served as media advisor to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In that role, she served as spokesperson for, and strategic advisor to, the director of the agency on matters pertaining to media relations and outreach during national disasters.

Shane worked for nearly 3 years as an associate producer at CBS News for the Early Show, prior to joining the administration.

Shane has a Master of Arts degree in Public Communication from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from George Mason University.