Susie Wiles' private ventures

America’s first female White House Chief of Staff has always been keen to stay out of the spotlight. Unlike many senior figures in the executive branch, Susie S. Wiles is a veteran politician. Her path to the executive office was, however, scattered with ventures into the private sector. The Ice Maiden, as she’s known in the Executive Office, once co-owned a Ponte Vedra catering service with her mother.

Wiles’ professional career began in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a Republican intern. Connections through her father, Pat Summerall, a prominent sports broadcaster and former NFL kicker, helped her land an internship with Jack Kemp. Her venture as a small-business owner came after she served in junior roles connected to the orbit of Ronald Reagan, including a position on his campaign.

In Florida

Wiles met her husband, Lanny, during her days in Washington. In the early 1980s, they relocated to Sawgrass near Ponte Vedra Beach, in St. Johns County. The location would have negated her ability to serve as Information Officer for Jacksonville due to a local Residency rule. Justifying their Out-of-County hire, a city official told Florida-Times Union that, "Under Equal Employment Oppurtunity [guidelines], we're way short of minorites."

This was a minority hire.

Before the nomination, Wiles ran a firm in 1983 with Cynthia Smith and her husband that lobbied for the city of Jacksonville. It oversaw $20,000 to $25,000 for the city and received grants from the Department of Labor. Jay Summerall, her brother, was employed at the Department then. Mayor Jake Godbold issued a waiver to the Rule for Wiles due to her work in Jacksonville.

Despite the approval process, she' chose to leave her position for the City after a short six month tenure. Meanwhile, her husband was operating two Bojangles franchises as President of Columbia Food Systems. Pat Summerall was the corporation's Director and Kathy Summerall was Secretary-Treasurer, which was dissolved in 1987.

She later purchased a 50% stake in a catering service called Taste Buds in 1986 with her daughter. Within five months, they assumed full ownership of the establishment, according to local news reports and State records. Wiles devoted some time in 1988 to the Bush-Quayle campaign focused on the vice-presidential ticket. But the family establishment remained open.

Taste Buds merged with a retail store and catering service formerly known as Foodworks. Summerall continued to operate the combined businesses under the Taste Buds of Florida Inc name with her daughter. They hoped the merger would increase sales by 80%. State records list Wiles as a Director and the Secretary-Treasurer. Annual reports filed between 1988 and February 1991 list her mother as Director and President.

Closing the doors

Katherine Summerall sued her daughter and son-in-law in September of 1990. According to court records, Lanny Wiles fell into financial distress and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May the following year. His wife was listed as a Director of Lanny F. Wiles & Associates Inc, but she also cosigned a loan contract. As such, they were both listed as joint debtors, leading to liens on her assets due to liabilities of $3M. During the bankruptcy, Wiles became involved in her father’s struggle with alcohol, which contributed to a divorce petition filed against Kathy in June.

Pat Summerall recovered with the assistance of a successful intervention in May of 1992. We could not find Taste Buds of Florida Inc in the associated bankruptcy records. In August, Kathy Summerall was appointed to the Ottis Smith Foundation Board of Directors. Susie Wiles' private venture into the catering business formally ended when Taste Buds was involuntarily dissolved by the State of Florida in October.

By 1992, though, State politics had taken center stage in her focus moving forward. It began in Florida on Tillie Fowler’s campaign. Having left the hospitality industry, Summerall and her daughter purchased a new home in the St John's county community in 1995. Wiles' political career eventually led to a nomination as Chief of Staff in the Jacksonville mayor’s office.

New Ventures

Creditors motioned to continue collecting her wages at a maximum of 25% for over $75,000 in remaining dues. The courts dismissed the motion in 1996. Citing burnout in an interview with Jacksonville Daily Record, however, she left the position in the new millenium and opened an office with her former husband.

Tony Boselli later opened an office with Wiles in 2011, which grew into Right Coast Strategies LLC. Most recently, Donald Trump’s campaign manager made $4M in profit through the lobbying firm. It had taken on Ballard Partners as one of its many clients, which itself represented several major companies across various industries. Ballard has lobbied for Trulieve Cannabis Corp, as an example. Wiles further claimed a $401K salary as an MSGDMNSM Ventures XXV LLC lobbyist, listing tech and tobacco clients.

Right Coast Strategies paused operations in December of 2024. And Wiles sold her interest in MSGDMNSM Ventures XXV LLC for $1 before her nomination to the Executive Office, according to a Financial Disclosure Report. Records for Voter Contact Solutions LLC, which filed annual reports in 2025 and 2026, lists Wiles as an associated member as well. The LLC does not, however, appear in her DFR.