Jacksonville, Fl — President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff.
Wiles stands to be the first woman to hold the influential role. She has deep ties in Northeast Florida, having served as Chief of Staff to former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney.
Wiles was also a key aide to former Mayor John Peyton, who told Jacksonville’s Morning News that she will be a pivotal ally to Trump.
The daughter of NFL player and sportscaster Pat Summerall, Wiles worked in the Washington office of New York Rep. Jack Kemp in the 1970s. Following that were stints on Ronald Reagan’s campaign and in his White House as a scheduler.
Wiles then headed to Florida, where she advised two Jacksonville mayors and worked for Rep. Tillie Fowler. After that came statewide campaigns in rough and tumble Florida politics, with Wiles being credited with helping businessman Rick Scott win the governor’s office.
After briefly managing Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign, she ran Trump’s 2016 effort in Florida, when his win in the state helped him clinch the White House.
