Cynthia L Lesher

Ms. Lesher has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy Inc. company, since 2005. She was Chief Human Resources Officer of Xcel Energy Inc. from 2001 to 2005 and also Chief Administrative Officer of Xcel Energy Inc. from 2000 to 2005. She is currently serving as a loaned executive to the Republican National Convention, which will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota in September 2008, in the position of president of the Minnesota host committee.