Wendy Jane Greuel (born May 23, 1961) is an American politician. She served as Los Angeles City Controller from 2009–13. Greuel was the second woman elected to citywide office in Los Angeles, after her predecessor Laura Chick. Previously, she served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 2002–09, where she served as President Pro Tempore and represented the 2nd District, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley. Greuel was a candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2013, losing to Eric Garcetti, followed by a loss running for California's 33rd congressional district. She was the first woman to advance to a Los Angeles mayoral runoff, performing better than previous female candidates Linda Griego in 1993, Kathleen Connell in 2001 and Jan Perry also in 2013. Early and career She was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, the daughter of a Christian church founder. Greuel graduated from Kennedy High School and served as student body president. During high school, she served as a member of then-Mayor Tom Bradley's Youth Council. She continued her education at the University of California, Los Angeles, during which time she interned for Councilman Joel Wachs, Mayor Tom Bradley and the City of Los Angeles's office in Washington DC. Office of Mayor Tom Bradley Upon graduation, Greuel worked in Mayor Bradley's office for ten years, serving as Bradley's liaison to the City Council, city departments, and the community on public policy issues ranging from child care to homelessness to senior care and health issues. During this time, she established the city's first AIDS coordinator, secured funding from the City Council for condoms and bleach to stop the spread of AIDS, worked to find housing for L.A.'s homeless population, including Vietnam War veterans, and helped to create LA's Best, a nationally recognized after-school program for public elementary school students. Clinton Administration From 1993-97, Greuel worked in the administration of President Bill Clinton. She served with Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Andrew Cuomo, first as the Deputy Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness and later as the field operations officer for Southern California, where she became involved in projects offering opportunities for home ownership, job creation, economic development and social services. During her tenure, she managed HUD's response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which included securing over $1 billion in federal funding for recovery efforts. DreamWorks From 1997