Mitt Romney

itt Romney credits his experience as head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics with helping him take a lead on homeland security. "My having been part of that was something which has enabled me to make a contribution, albeit small, to the thinking of homeland security," Romney said of the successful Winter Games, which took place five months after 9/11 amid an unprecedented amount of security that required collaboration among local, state, and federal officials.

Romney's star has risen rapidly in homeland security since his November 2002 election as Massachusetts governor. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge appointed Romney to his advisory council in December, and the National Governors Association has made Romney its lead governor on the issue.

Son of the late Michigan Gov. George Romney, the Detroit native brings a business background to governing. In 1984, he founded Bain Capital, an investment company.

The 56-year-old graduate of Brigham Young and Harvard universities also brings a big-picture approach to homeland security. Since taking office, he has crafted a comprehensive security plan for the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. One of the state's biggest homeland-security challenges, he said, was a lack of uniformity. Avoiding what he calls a "hodgepodge of equipment" means keeping a tight rein on how funds are distributed. His state's grant process for receiving homeland-security funds has "carefully delineated criteria," Romney said, and the Homeland Security Department has regarded the Massachusetts system as a model.

George Washington University's Frank Cilluffo serves with Romney on the Homeland Security Advisory Council and praises Romney's initiative and independence, as well as his leadership. "He has done a fantastic job in Massachusetts," Cilluffo said, adding that on homeland-security matters, Romney is "not going to sit there and be a wallflower."