Category: Archives

Most everyone agrees that politics is personal, but for Wendeen it has meant friendships – many of long standing that have grown without boundaries and without being inhibited by varying political thought.

Looking back upon a special birthday, shortly before election night in 1994, Wendeen pauses to consider the blessing of stalwart friends, no matter their political persuasions.

For more than 10 years Marcel Luske and I have met often as clients, as friends with a shared passion for fair play, out paths crossing in business, exotic travel and poker room combat.

Marcel, the entertainer, the story teller and the advocate is now holding court in the Bahamas, as I leave to return to the grindstone of recruiting big ticket Latin American law firm partners closer to home.

Wendeen and Sara rub shoulders amiably as they chat about the beauty of Alaska.

In 2008 Wendeen predicted, publicly, that picking Sarah Palin as the VP candidate could be “suicide,” for the Republicans…. In 2013,  Wendeen attended  a  private reception that featured Sara.

After listening to the former VP candidate’s latest rap, Wendeen acknowledged to her hosts, “Sara is definitely more into newspapers these days!  Later, Wendeen more diplomatically called the  one-time time prom queen-turned Tea Party queen, “gutsy, galvanizing, and gorgeous and joined  Sara for a formal photo.

Shortly before the summer recess, Wendeen and Joe discussed his latest federal legislative bill in support of online gaming.

She thanks him for the generosity of his time and commentates on his legislative strategy to bring about legalization of online gaming. Her smile in the photo reflects her satisfaction on getting the scoop as to where the president stands on the issue.

Wendeen was there with her step dad at the late Lew Rudin’s Florida “Shangri-la,  listening to two great story tellers–Lew, the legendary NY real estate mogul  and Wendeen’s Dad, a senior pol in Albany for thirty years. Lew’s family preserved Lew’s stories and celebrated them in style with a book party at the Four Seasons.

Everyone who is anyone in the thick of New York business and politics came to pick up the newly published book “Mr. New York, Lew Rudin and his Love for the Capital City.” Wendeen cherishes her copy of the book.

Wendeen reconnects with Mary Jo White, SEC Chair, at WFNY breakfast, asking how she balances expansion of corporate accountability with tradition of allowing corporations to agree to high financial penalties while refusing to admit to wrongdoing.

Breakfast was lively, Mary Jo kept us on our toes; discussing her responsibilities and authority with a dollop  of humor  and heaping respect for  communication that is down to earth. I recalled our lunch date as she was building her portfolio while at Debevoise (including a client we recommended). WFNY can only hope to see Mary Jo return to the fold of the Forum at such time as she may decide to return to the private sector.

Celebrations with President Nelson Mandela are filled with food for the soul.  In their first meeting, Wendeen joined members of City Hall in welcoming President Mandela to the Gracie Mansion lawn.  They followed up with a chat in the Mayor’s Library.

Five years later, in South Africa, the mighty Mandela showed humility, friendship, and love of country to Wendeen.  Now she recalls her one day education at the side of Mr. Mandela, learning the true blessings of freedom from a man who has truly appreciated its meaning.

Leading together, Mike and Wendeen set in motion the 1974 legislative effort in the State of New York to overhaul the statute that applies to “headhunters.”

Marching into the offices of Assemblymen and Senators, Wendeen used Mike’s talking points to persuade them, one by one, to give up the 1904 law that prohibited recruiting by “employment agents.”

In 1975, Mike and Wendeen celebrated at the largest state convention of “headhunters” the triumph of our current modernized statute.  On the occasion of Mike’s retirement from the world of business, Wendeen toasts the power behind her role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Personnel Consultants of the State of New York.

Until her recent visit with Hal Steinbrenner in the owners’ suite, she knew just a tad about baseball from Rudy Giuliani, Randy Levine, and Alex Rodriguez.

But last week, her knowledge base of all things baseball skyrocketed.
Wendeen supported a unique Citymeals-on-Wheels event that included not only the best box seats, but plenty of tutoring on Yankees history in the owner’s suite.

Escorted into the inner sanctum of the Yankees’ homeland by Ross, a wonderful new young friend substituting for her son, they chatted amiably with Hal Steinbrenner at the grand buffet that included tall drinks on the house. The bartender, a 12-year veteran turned out to be an old friend from her days at City Hall.

The visit got better when Yankees President Randy Levine arrived to provide a bear hug and a reminder to call him — after the playoffs. Then his wife Mindy showed up and wowed the gathering crowd  with stories of Randy and Wendeen’s days and nights in City Hall dramas during the early years of Rudy’s reign.

A special night to remember with Ross, whose eyes lit up so brightly as he checked out every piece of memorabilia and explained its significance.

At a luncheon held at the Hilton, Wendeen is the keynote speaker moving from one roundtable to another, coaching lawyers on the cusp of partnership regarding four key strategies to make the cut.

Wendeen says, “On home, in business, and on the road, negotiations revolve around how much do you love me and who is boss.”  Well channeled competitive juices lead to finely tuned negotiating skills at home, in the workplace, and on the road, taking lessons she brought from her experience as an interviewer to the realms of politics and card rooms. Wendeen uses poker as a metaphor in her keynote speech in describing the four basic strategies one must master to become savvy in negotiations at any table. EOLIS Institute for Leadership customizes “people reading” seminars for law firms, legal departments, business groups, and individual executives.

Email emead@eolis.com for further information.