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Vice President of Security

Frank Harrill is vice president of security for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, which invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. He retired from the FBI in 2016 after more than 20 years investigating sophisticated cyberattacks, terrorist incidents and other federal crimes.

Prior to joining the FBI, Harrill served nearly 10 years in the U.S. Navy as a carrier pilot and jet flight instructor. In 2011, he earned a master’s degree in information technology, with an emphasis on security and assurance, from Carnegie Mellon University. He obtained his Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification in 2004.

Frank Harrill

U.S. utilities are navigating a rapidly evolving threat environment shaped by unprecedented load growth, increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, and the growing overlap between cyber and physical risks. In this episode of Schweitzer Drive, guest host Frank Harrill, vice president of security at SEL, speaks with Sharla Artz, security and resilience policy area vice president at Xcel Energy. The discussion explores how AI, data centers, and the electrification of everything are changing the risk profile for utilities—and how technology and policy are evolving to keep pace with emerging threats.

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Security and Resilience Area Vice President

Sharla Artz serves as vice president for security and resilience policy at Xcel Energy, where she manages national security strategic partnerships with 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 infrastructure.

Previously, Sharla served as senior vice president of government and external affairs at the Utilities Technology Council, where she focused on highlighting cross-sector interdependencies in critical infrastructure protection efforts. She also served as director of government affairs at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, where she established close working relationships with government officials, contributed insight to support sound policy decision-making, and advocated for the role of technology in grid resilience. Prior to joining Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Sharla was vice president of legal and government affairs for Genscape Inc., where she developed business relationships with federal entities. She also served as assistant general counsel for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, supporting the 50 state utility commissioners on energy regulatory matters pending before the federal government.

After earning her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center, Sharla spent four years on Capitol Hill working on energy policy for a former member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Tulsa and lives in Alexandria, Va., with her husband and two children.

Cybersecurity and the New Threat Landscape for U.S. Utilities