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Merribel S. Ayres, a leader in Washington, D.C.'s business and public policy communities for more than two decades, founded the Lighthouse Consulting Group in 1996. The privately held firm provides government affairs and communications expertise, as well as management consulting and business development services, focusing primarily on energy and environmental policy. From 1988 to 1996, Ms. Ayres served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Independent Energy Producers, a Washington trade association representing the independent power supply industry. She is a member of the Aspen Institute Energy Policy Forum and the Deans' Alumni Leadership Counsel of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Ms. Ayres holds a B.A. in English Literature from Bryn Mawr College, a post-graduate degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and received advanced leadership training at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. In addition to Alliance, Ms. Ayres is a Director of the United States Energy Association (USEA), and serves on the Board of Directors of CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE: CMS), a Michigan-based company that has as its primary business operations an electric and natural gas utility, natural gas pipeline systems, and independent power generation. | 