Suzette sees the broader picture and
understands the interconnections. She sees the forest AND the
trees. She has a great sense of humor which helps her keep a
healthy perspective—and helps her colleagues do the same.
- Mary Jo Fields
Virginia Municipal League
Virginia Municipal League
Parting shot—on one of Suzette
Denslow’s (l) last days as Governor Warner’s ( r)
policy analyst, they met for a congratulatory briefing to
celebrate a job well done.
officials in her role as lobbyist. During
the legislative session as well as other times, she is front
and center in key meetings, hallways, and out and about
wherever she needs to be to get the job done. For the last four
years, she’s had the ideal view for the job, on the third
floor of the Capitol, above all the fray below. As Governor
Warner’s policy director she was in command central for
the Administration’s agendas and policies. Subsequently,
she had the ears of those who matter on Capitol Square, and the
respect and admiration of those who make the big decisions.
Like others who excel in this in this legislative milieu,
Suzette makes lobbying look easy. On the contrary, if you study
it closely, it is some of the most challenging work done on
Capitol Square. We asked her about her lobbying success, and
why she thinks this career works for her.
She sighed and said, “I wish I was a
better lobbyist. I think that the best way that I lobby is
to get other people to lobby. To me, it’s the question of
who ought to talk to whom. For me to talk to somebody who
doesn’t care what I think isn’t as important as, my
uncle, say, who grew up next to [Del.] Bill Barlow.
“When I talk to people about issues,
what I try to do is one, present both sides of the issue fairly
and be succinct, and understand the other person’s point
of view and try to see if there’s a way to try and do
what they are trying to get done even though it’s not
necessarily my interest. If you help them do something
that’s good for them, and it doesn’t effect me
adversely, then I want to do that. So I try to communicate that
I’m not
Suzette has a wonderful combination of
qualities. On the one hand, she’s a smart, hard nosed
policy analyst with a mania for detail and accuracy. On the
other hand, she’s one of the warmest and funniest people
I know. She has a broad range of expertise, from education to local
government to seemingly every other issue that comes up. And
she is a joy to work with. She can tell you that you’re
not only wrong, but way wrong, in the nicest way.
- The Hon. Michael Schewel
Former Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Commonwealth of Virginia
Former Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Commonwealth of Virginia