Romney took on 'outsider' role at helm of Bay State

Romney thundered to his supporters gathered at a downtown Boston hotel, "Tonight we sent a loud and clear message. ... The message is that patronage and mismanagement are unacceptable."

CEO governor

As 70th governor of the Commonwealth, Romney followed in the footsteps of some famous men — three signers of the Declaration of Independence (John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Elbridge Gerry) and a future U.S. president (Calvin Coolidge).

But Romney was the state's first self-styled CEO governor.

His Cabinet choices seemed to reflect a new approach, creating a "wow" effect with high-powered members such as Democrats Robert C. Pozen, former vice chairman of Fidelity Investments, and Douglas I. Foy, longtime president of the Conservation Law Foundation. They were the biggest names in a strong lineup and Romney gave both broad authority over new "super-secretariats."

Assuming office midway in the fiscal year, Romney's team inherited a fiscal meltdown requiring immediate steps to close a potential $650 million shortfall. Worse, budget writers for the incoming governor discovered the projected deficit for the following year was exploding — from $2 billion to $3 billion in a $23 billion budget.

The fiscal crisis was deja vu for Eric A. Kriss, Romney's secretary of administration and finance. Under William F. Weld, during the recession in the early 1990s, he had been assistant secretary.

"There were a lot of similar characteristics," said Kriss, who had worked with Romney at Bain & Company and Bain Capital. "It was one of those perfect storms."

From the outset, Romney's team maintained tight control of information and displayed a disciplined, centralized management style. The administration spoke with one voice, usually Romney's.

Assisted by Boston-based management consultants who donated their time during the transition, Romney's new team scoured the bureaucracy, culling data in a search for inefficiency, waste and savings.

The work formed the basis of a blueprint that Romney called "the most significant restructuring of state government in half a century." Sensing a mandate, the new governor wanted to reorganize whole sectors of government at a time when state finances were deteriorating.

Romney specifically aimed to overhaul the sprawling human services system, a court network beset by legislative meddling, and the 29-campus higher education system. At the same time, he wanted to reform Civil Service, loosen the teachers unions' influence on public education, and fix the state's troubled school-building assistance program.