Steven W. Morris to Become ALLETE Controller

DULUTH, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ALLETE (NYSE: ALE) Director of Accounting Steven W. Morris has been promoted to Controller of the Duluth, Minnesota-based company.

Morris will assume his new position as a corporate officer on March 3, when current Controller Steve DeVinck succeeds Chief Financial Officer Mark Schober, who announced his intention to retire last August.

Morris joined the Company in 2001 as manager of financial reporting and budgeting for Minnesota Power, and was named Director of Internal Audit for ALLETE in 2005. For the past three years, he has been the company's Director of Accounting.

“Steve's broad accounting background and familiarity with our unique company will serve him well in his new position,” DeVinck said. “Steve has extensive accounting experience as well as experience in other important areas including acquisitions and rate regulation.”

In his new position, Morris will have responsibility for all of ALLETE's accounting functions, including internal and external financial reporting, budgeting and transactional accounting.

Prior to his employment at ALLETE, Morris spent 16 years with the public accounting firm McGladrey and Pullen, where he rose to the position of senior manager. A graduate of Duluth Denfeld High School and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Morris is a Certified Public Accountant.

He's also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Institute of Internal Auditors and serves on the United Way of Greater Duluth board.

Morris, his wife Traci, and son Matthew reside in rural Duluth.

ALLETE, Inc. is an energy company headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. ALLETE's energy businesses include Minnesota Power, Superior Water, Light & Power Co., BNI Coal, and ALLETE Clean Energy. More information about the company is available at www.allete.com.

The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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