Susan Summerall Wiles, born on May 14, 1957, in New Jersey, was exposed to public life from a young age. As the daughter of Pat Summerall, a prominent NFL player turned renowned sportscaster, Wiles grew up in a household that valued resilience, public service, and performance under pressure. Her father’s influence and exposure to a high-profile environment laid a foundation for her future career in politics, where she would work in equally high-stakes settings. Wiles attended the University of Maryland, College Park, earning a Bachelor’s degree in English, which honed her communication skills and analytical abilities. As she completed her education, she looked toward a career that combined her passion for public service and her ability to connect with people—a calling she would pursue through numerous campaigns, advisory roles, and government positions. Entry into Politics and Early Career Wiles began her political career as a staff assistant for Representative Jack Kemp in 1979, introducing her to the inner workings of U.S. politics. She quickly gained a reputation as an efficient organizer with a keen understanding of the nuances of political operations. In 1980, Wiles joined Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign as a scheduler, an experience that provided her with insights into national campaign dynamics. Her effectiveness in this role led to her appointment as a special assistant in the Executive Office of the President following Reagan’s election. From 1981 to 1982, she worked closely with top officials, coordinating agendas and gaining firsthand experience in the interplay between policy and public relations. Wiles’s tenure in the Reagan administration solidified her desire to work in government, and from 1982 to 1983, she served as a special assistant to Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan. Her work during these years, alongside her role in the administration, forged her path in the political world, marking her as a reliable and savvy operator. Return to the Private Sector and Rise in Influence After her stint in the federal government, Wiles transitioned into the private sector, co-founding Summerall, Smith & Wiles, a government affairs firm in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1984. Over the next several years, Wiles balanced her private work with her enduring interest in politics. In 1988, she re-entered national politics, serving as deputy director of operations for George H.W. Bush’s vice-presidential campaign. She also made her mark on Florida state politics, building a network of allies and establishing her influence as a political strategist. Key Campaigns and the Formation of a Political Powerhouse Wiles’s career reached a new level of prominence in 2010, when she was hired to manage Rick Scott’s gubernatorial campaign in Florida. Despite Scott’s outsider status, Wiles leveraged her knowledge of the state’s political landscape to orchestrate a successful campaign that defied expectations and led Scott to victory. Wiles’s reputat...