POSTED 12-26-2024 Meet Leslie Villone, one of our Proposal Coordinators. Leslie has two cats, enjoys going to Sabres games, reading, and spending time with her husband and their friends. What does a day in your work life look like? I primarily work in the architecture-focused proposal field, where business opportunities may originate from private/corporate businesses or public sector entities such as transit agencies, local government, K-12, and public safety facilities. On any given day, I can be found hosting a “go/no-go” meeting with our client sector leaders and technical staff to gauge whether an opportunity is worth pursuing. I worked on more than 60 proposals this past year, so we said “go” much more than “no.” Preparing a proposal can be nerve-racking and tedious, especially when working on several at a time, so it’s important to read the request for proposals (RFPS) thoroughly so that no requirements are missed. It’s also important to communicate what you need from your team so everyone is on the same page, and you can produce a winning proposal. What do you like most about working here? I love my coworkers! They are smart, capable, and always willing to help when things get crazy, and more proposals are due than time to do them. I also appreciate the approachability of Wendel’s senior leadership. You can walk into their offices and have open conversations without feeling awkward. When you’re not making people at work smile, what types of things will we find you doing in your free time? I have a husband and two babies, and by babies, I mean my cats. LOL. My husband and I go to about 10 Buffalo Sabres games a season despite their abysmal play. We have a large friend group that we get together with often. I am an avid crossword puzzle doer, like to read and watch movies and bad reality TV. Do you have a favorite project that you’ve done since you joined Wendel? If so, please tell us about it and why it was your favorite. I worked on the proposal for the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens addition and renovation. I have vivid memories of visiting the Botanical Gardens growing up, so this was a proposal that I was happy to work on. I saw the excitement of our architects and others working on this opportunity, preparing initial sketches for the proposal. I also saw the effort that went into the interview preparation. Everything came full circle when we won the business. It’s a project that everyone was proud to be a part of.