U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)

n May 2002, Adm. James Loy moved from Coast Guard commandant to deputy undersecretary of the newly created and already beleaguered Transportation Security Administration. A few months later, Loy's besieged boss, John Magaw, resigned, and in July, Loy stepped into the breach, taking over an agency that employed 3,000 staffers and bringing it up to 60,000 strong.

Fast-forward a year and a half to November 2003. Loy was once again sitting at Senate confirmation hearings, this time for the No. 2 post at the Homeland Security Department, getting ready to replace Gordon England, whom the Bush administration had asked to return to his job as Navy secretary.

Loy is that rarity in government and in life: a man who is almost universally respected and liked by his supervisors and his subordinates. At his November nomination hearing for deputy secretary, senators joked about dealing with the "complicated problem of having a nominee about whom there is virtually no controversy."

"Loy is one of those extraordinary leaders who come along once in a great while," said Cmdr. Glenn Sulmasy, professor of international law and homeland security at the Naval War College. "He is savvy, warm, and charismatic. He can go on a cutter and talk with seamen, and then fly up for a meeting with Senator [Christopher] Dodd or Senator [John] Warner without batting an eyelash." Loy is also well respected among industry leaders and members of Congress.

Loy, 61, is a Pennsylvania native; he graduated from the Coast Guard Academy with a bachelor's degree in general engineering. He earned master's degrees in history/government and public administration from Wesleyan University and the University of Rhode Island.

Loy led combat patrols in Vietnam, and he retired as a four-star admiral after 38 years with the Coast Guard. He is credited with modernizing and rebuilding the Guard during his tenure. Loy is also praised for his management skills and expertise in maritime transportation security; under his command, the Coast Guard quickly mobilized to close major U.S. ports after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Loy has headed the two largest agencies that comprise the Homeland Security Department: the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard. Together, they have approximately 100,000 employees, more than half the DHS workforce.