Photo by David Ellis
President, Host Committee for the 2008 Republican Convention
By Stephen Regenold
What does it feel like to lead the charge on organizing the biggest party in Twin Cities history? “Like boiling the ocean.”
That’s what Cynthia Lesher, president and CEO of Northern States Power Company, Minnesota, says about her interim role as president of the Host Committee for the 2008 Republican National Convention, which next September will bring tens of thousands of decision makers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to nominate an official candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.
Indeed, the Republican National Convention, to be held Sept. 1-4, 2008, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, will be one of the biggest—and most prestigious—gatherings ever hosted on Minnesota soil. The convention is expected to deliver 45,000 or more people to the state, including the candidates, delegates, volunteers, staff, guests and about 15,000 media professionals.
Almost every hotel room in the city is booked. Fleets of cars and busses are being hired from out of town to move people around. Area restaurants will be packed, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and attendees will sample all the top area venues—from shows at the Guthrie; to drinks at First Avenue; to art at the Walker; to shopping at MOA; to evening walks around Lake Calhoun, the late-summer sun slipping down through trees west of the water.
Oh, and they’ll choose a presidential candidate in there at some point as well.
Lesher’s job, a full-time role she started last February after taking temporary leave as a “loaned executive” from her position with Northern States Power Company, is to make sure things go off without a hitch.
“Everything I’m doing right now is geared toward Sept. 5th,” Lesher says, referring to the day after the convention ends, when the thousands of attendees will head home and, hopefully, have good things to say about their stay. “I want people to go home and think, ‘Wow what an amazing place.’ I want people to send their kids to college here; go on vacation here; and come back and see all our premier venues.”
No matter your political inclinations, securing the Republican National Convention in Minnesota has been widely received as a tremendous economic and image-boosting boon for the region, with estimates heading upwards of $150 million for money to be spent by sponsors, the attendees and their entourages.
Beyond the dollars, the convention puts the region under a national spotlight. For city leaders, the choice to hold the Republican National Convention in Minnesota—something that’s not been done since 1892, when Benjamin Harrison of Indiana was picked to run at a convention in the Industrial Exposition Building in Minneapolis—shows the Twin Cities’ heightened stature. “What this confirms for us is that the Twin Cities can compete with any city in this country, any region in this country, and when people see what we have in this community, there is no one that can top us,” says St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party.
For Lesher, planning efforts began months ago, when she started recruiting people to head committees, including groups that deal with security, transportation, marketing, welcoming, catering, and community promotion. There’s even a committee for gift bags.
The task of organizing this kind of convention is monumental and multifaceted, and Lesher and her six full-time employees—a number that will grow to 16 people as the convention nears—are working long days to “showcase the Twin Cities to the world,” as Lesher says.
“The exciting aspect for me is the civic engagement and economic development opportunities,” she says. “I love these Twin Cities and the state, and the opportunity to showcase what we do is absolutely thrilling.”
Lesher, a resident of New Brighton, was born in Iowa, then raised in Texas. After college she had opportunities to work in Atlanta, Dallas and London. She landed in Minneapolis in 1970, and she’s stayed ever since. Her prestigious work history here includes the recent president and CEO title at Northern States Power Company, Minnesota; president of NSP Gas; positions in various vice president roles, and titles such as human resources director, and general manager at electric utility operations. Lesher was appointed chair of the Governor’s Workforce Development Council in 2004 by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. She also serves on the board of directors of Alliant Techsystems; Minnesota Chamber of Commerce; Twin Cities Area Red Cross; the Saint Paul Foundation; and is a member of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation.
In 2003 she was inducted into the Women’s Economic Roundtable, comprising the top 100 women leaders in Minnesota.
Lesher earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Drake University; a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from St. Cloud State University; and completed the Master of Excellence Program at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Finally, she is a Regent Emeritus of the University of Minnesota.
Compared to her position at Northern States Power, Lesher says the role of president of the Host Committee for the Republican National Convention is similarly complex, involving people and infrastructure, though organizing the convention is more “specific and mission focused,” referring to the ever-approaching Sept. 1, 2008, deadline, when all pieces of the puzzle need to be organized, configured, and glued down for good before Minneapolis and St. Paul go under the microscope.
Is Lesher nervous? Maybe. But she’s qualified for the job. She’s working hard and having fun. And she knows how to treat out-of-town guests. “I like to think I throw a good party,” she says.
