Dede Wilsey said the de Young project was on the hardest challenges she has ever had to face in her 30 years of fundraising expertise. Due to this project she had become very familiar and close to city politics while having to bear the loss of two city bond measures and fighting politicians and donors one on one in regards to fundraising and the design of the museum. Harry Parker, former director of the Fine Arts Museums, worked with Dede Wilsey side by side throughout this project and hard time and admired her leadership skills and firmness when the second bond measure failed in 1998. He said that she had broadcasted it live on television that if the city of San Francisco was not willing to cooperate or support them with this project then they would raise the money to re-build the museum on their own. Dede Wilsey was willing to complete this project no matter what and any obstacles, hurdles or things that came in her way to try to stop her would not make her give up for what she was working so hard for day and night.

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