Susan (Susie) Summerall Wiles, who will turn 68 in May, is not one for the spotlight.

She has made a career out of putting others — most recently Donald J. Trump — on the political stage.

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When urged by President Trump to take a bow at his 2024 victory party, Wiles reluctantly made her way to the stage, but she quickly demurred at taking the mic.

But she has made history nonetheless. With her appointment as White House Chief of Staff, she becomes the first woman to serve in that role.

Said the President-elect at his victory party, “Susie likes to stay in the back, let me tell you. We call her the ice maiden.”

This moniker stems not from her personality, but from her calm demeanor.

Her steadying influence marked the 2024 Trump presidential campaign.

According to Carlos Trujillo, a campaign adviser who served as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States. “She’s very soft spoken, but she holds everyone accountable, and it’s always done through love and kindness but never a place of hate.”

Trump senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said, “Susie Wiles is a tremendous advocate for President Trump and a great boss to those that work for her. She knows how to bring people together.”

Wiles’ management style fits well with her role in the White House.

Born one of three siblings in 1957 in New Jersey to famed sportscaster and NFL player Pat Summerall and his first wife Kathy, Wiles launched her political career in 1979 as a 22-year-old assistant to New York Congressman Jack Kemp. Kemp was a former teammate of her father’s on the New York Giants.

The following year, she plunged into electoral politics as a scheduler on Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign.

She’s worked on many high-profile GOP campaigns, including Rick Scott’s and Ron DeSantis’s successful gubernatorial Florida races. She ran the Florida operations for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign so effectively she was promoted to senior advisor on the national campaign.

According to Sean Spicer, one of Trump’s first term press secretaries, “She’s got the experience. She’s got the trust. She is flying right exactly on the radar where you want to be.”

But it has been her work on President Trump’s 2024 campaign that has really shone.

Campaign insiders credit her with creative, unique strategy and flawless operations. She even turned President Trump’s New York City trial on charges of hush money payments into campaign opportunities around the New York area.

It was during this guerrilla campaign that fundraising significantly closed the gap between President Trump’s war chest and Joe Biden’s.

Despite her best efforts, Wiles has figured in some drama.

Though DeSantis lauded Wiles as “really the best in the business,” she was edged out of his transition team by some staffers concerned about her growing influence.

Subsequently, the DeSantis team reportedly tried to push the Trump 2020 campaign to blackball her as well.

But the Trump campaign brought Wiles back on, and she engineered a win in the Florida vote for Trump.

Wiles has called her stint with DeSantis, the “biggest mistake” of her career. Whether it was the governor himself or some of his palace guards, the rift with Wiles appeared to be costly.

She apparently parlayed her knowledge of DeSantis into a rousing victory for Trump in the primaries for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Drama marked her marriage, too.

Wiles’ husband Lanny was a GOP strategist and lobbyist. The couple moved to Florida early in their marriage.

Unfortunately, when her husband incurred staggering debt, the couple was forced into bankruptcy. The resulting stress ultimately led to a divorce in 2017.

The couple’s two daughters Katie and Caroline have followed their parents into politics, as well. Both served in some capacity in President Trump’s first administration.

In line with her behind-the-scenes ways, Wiles does not discuss her faith, but she is a member of the Episcopal Church.

Wiles has been a lobbyist between political positions.

In between campaign and government work, Susie has lobbied for a number of firms, including APCO Worldwide, her own firm Wiles Consulting, Inc, and Ballard Partners (where Attorney General Pam Bondi also worked).

Among Wiles’ clients were the People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria and the Venezuelan media company Globovision Tele Ca, Corp.

As Chief of Staff, Wiles assumes one of the most powerful roles in the administration.

This position may be the most important, unelected one in the administration. Wiles will manage the White House staff and serve as overall gatekeeper and date-keeper for the President.

She has weighed in on hiring decisions, reportedly blocking some of the most extreme choices. And she will steer policy development and even Congressional negotiations.

Such a highly pressured job typically has a tenure of a year and a half. President Trump had four chiefs of staff in his first term.

Wiles has demonstrated strong loyalty to the 47th President.

In the fair weather environment of national politics, many forsook President Trump in the messy aftermath of the events of January 6, 2021.

But Wiles stuck with the President, assuming leadership of his Save America PAC. Donations under her tenure exploded from $31.5 million to $109.7 million.

Wiles self-effacing style seems to resonate with the President.

According to an interview with Marc Caputo of Axios, Wiles asserted she managed the campaign, not the candidate. She resolutely denied telling President Trump what to do.

She is also known to be discreet, never disclosing her private conversations with the President and never crossing him publicly.

She sees her role as implementing the President’s campaign promises and agenda.

Her administration style is likely to align with her campaign management.

“The West Wing staff is a mix of new and veterans — many are young, all are prepared to work punishing hours,” Wiles told Caputo. “To my core, I believe in teamwork. Anyone who cannot be counted on to be collaborative, and focused on our shared goals, isn’t working in the West Wing.”

As Chief of Staff, Wiles has been the depository for frustrations of various agency heads related to the more manic style of management embodied at the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE).

She is reportedly working behind-the-scenes to stem some of Musk’s influence.

Wiles is not reluctant to speak up when it is necessary.

Her father Pat Summerall recounted her role in the meeting several friends and loved ones had with him about his alcohol abuse in 1992.

As friend after friend rose to read letters of concern about him, Summerall grew increasingly furious and recalcitrant.

Then Wiles stood and said, “Lately I’ve been ashamed to share your name.”

It broke him. He entered the Betty Ford Clinic, renewed his faith, and got sober.

Wiles’ quiet courage helped see her father to health.

Let us pray that same courage help America get on and stay on the Lord’s agenda.

Please pray:

For the Armor of God to be activated in all ways.

For wisdom (James 1:5).

For favor (Psalm 90:17, ESV).

For persistence in prayer (Luke 18:3).

For effectiveness (Col. 3:23-24).

For protection (Psalm 91).

For reliance on God (Psalm 20:7-8).

For blessing (Numbers 6:24-26).

How are you praying for Susie Wiles?

New York City–based Joyce Swingle is an intercessor and a contributing writer for IFA. With her husband, Rich, also a contributing writer for IFA, Joyce shares the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world through theater, speaking, writing, and film. Prior to going into full-time ministry, Joyce worked for about 20 major magazines and now works in pastoral ministry and Christian counseling. www.Richdrama.com. Photo Credit: The White House.