Sharla Artz serves as the Security and Resilience Policy Area Vice President for Xcel Energy where she manages the company’s national security strategic partnerships with our federal and state government partners. In this role, she works with utilities, government partners, and industry stakeholders to develop strategies that enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures.  Previously, she served as the Senior Vice President of Government & External Affairs at the Utilities Technology Council, where she focused on bringing attention to cross sector interdependencies in critical infrastructure protection efforts. Ms. Artz was formerly the Director of Government Affairs at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL), where she established close working relationships with government officials, contributed insight for sound policy decision making, and was an advocate on the role of technology in grid resilience. Prior to joining SEL, Ms. Artz was the vice president of legal and government affairs for Genscape, Inc., developing business relationships for the company with federal entities. Ms. Artz was the assistant general counsel for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, serving the 50 state utility commissioners on energy regulatory matters pending before the federal government. After receiving her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, Ms. Artz spent four years on Capitol Hill, working on energy policy for a former member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Ms. Artz has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and two children.