Mitt Romney is the "white knight" who will rescue the reputation of the 2002 Winter Games, Gov. Mike Leavitt and a handful of other Utah leaders have decided.
Romney, a Boston-based venture capitalist with Utah ties, was named chief executive officer of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee at an Olympic board of trustees meeting Thursday morning.Also Thursday, the SLOC board was expanded to 50 members. The new members include Frank Joklik, the acting president of the organizing committee. Joklik resigned last month over the bid bribery scandal.
One of the first duties of the expanded board of trustees was to select five members of the newly created management committee that will oversee the day-to-day operations of SLOC.
Longtime Olympic supporter Spencer Eccles of First Security Bank was voted in, along with Teresa Beck, head of American Stores; R. Don Cash of Questar; developer John Price; and Jim Schwartz, a venture capitalist from Deer Valley.
One name taken off the list of candidates for the management committee was Verl Topham. Topham, Alan Layton and Earl Holding announced during the meeting they intended to resign.
Topham was heavily involved in the bid, and there was considerable speculation that he knew of the questionable activities going on. However, he was not mentioned in the SLOC Board of Ethics report on its investigation.
Layton and Snowbasin Ski Area owner Holding have often been cited as examples of the need for a stronger conflict of interest policy for Olympic trustees.
Holding has a contract with SLOC to use the resort for Olympic events and his new Little America hotel is expected to house International Olympic Committee members.
Layton's construction company has an even larger contract with SLOC to cover the speed-skating oval track at the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center in Kearns.
Layton also handled the remodeling of Rice Stadium for the University of Utah. The stadium will be the site of opening and closing ceremonies during the Games.
Leavitt called on trustees who have dealings with SLOC that provide them with "substantial personal benefit" to resolve those conflicts or resign within 60 days.
He said SLOC's policy on conflicts needs to be tightened and made it clear that the trustees affected by the proposed change had done nothing wrong. Current policy only required them to abstain from votes on their contracts.
The governor, attending only his second meeting of the SLOC board, also asked for and got new policies on opening SLOC meetings and records and requiring board members to regularly attend meetings.
Leavitt's first meeting as a trustee was Tuesday, when the SLOC Board of Ethics reported on its investigation into allegations Salt Lake City tried to buy the votes of IOC members.
The biggest job facing the new board, however, was naming Romney as the new CEO. Romney entered the meeting before the vote about 10 a.m. and shook the hands of every trustee. He called Joklik "a class act."
The governor said Romney is "a franchise player. I am just delighted and deeply grateful that he is willing to do this service." Romney was then approved unanimously.
"Where were you in 1994 when I needed you?" Romney said in accepting the job, a reference to his hard-fought but ultimately losing battle to unseat Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy.
"I see the Olympic movement as one of the great events on the world stage," Romney said. "I became concerned that what was happening around the Olympics would diminish" that.
He received a standing ovation from trustees and others in the room.
On Utah's Capitol Hill, Senate President Lane Beattie said "I am very very pleased" with Romney's selection. "All indications are Mitt will be someone who is aligned with Utah values, who will have the sensitivity and management skills to do a very difficult task."
"He has outstanding credentials and the business skills needed," House Speaker Marty Stephens said. "I'm confident he will do an excellent job."
While no one has questioned that Romney's the right man for the job, there are concerns being raised about how he was selected to replace Joklik.
"There's a big question about the process. But we're very fortunate to have someone like Mitt," trustee Ken Bullock said. "How do you reinforce the trust of the public and board that decisions are not dictated by a few individuals?"
Garff said there shouldn't be any questions about the process. "I offer no excuses," he said "It was my job as the chairman to provide leadership now . . . we are in a state of crisis and we need leadership now."
It's been no secret that the governor wanted Romney to take the job. Leavitt and Garff have met several times with him in Salt Lake City, and a hastily assembled "screening" committee, as the governor put it, met with him Wednesday.
Those named to the SLOC Management Committee are:
Anita DeFrantz, IOC
Jim Easton, IOC
Sandy Baldwin, USOC
Bill Hybl, USOC
Dick Schultz, USOC
Bob Garff, SLOC chairman
Mitt Romney, SLOC president
Joan Guetschow, athlete representative
John Ruger, athlete representative
Mike Schlappi, athlete representative
Bill Stapleton, athlete representative
Mike Leavitt, Utah governor
Deedee Corradini, Salt Lake mayor
Lane Beattie, Senate president
Marty Stephens, Utah House speaker
Ken Bullock, Utah League of Cities and Towns
Randy Dryer, Utah Sports Authority chairman
Teresa Beck, at-large
Don Cash, at-large
Spence Eccles, at-large
John Price, at-large
Jim Schwartz, at-large
Utah House speaker and Senate president share a seat. Dryer is nonvoting member.
The new trustees announced Thursday are:
Marion Willey, Salt Lake Housing Authority
Forrest Cuch, director Utah State office of Indian Affairs
Brad Olch, Park City mayor
Keith Christensen, Salt Lake City Council chairman
Lewis Billings, Provo mayor
Camille Cain, Weber County commissioner
Teresa Beck, president American Stores
Jim Schwartz, Excel Partnering
Frank Joklik, former SLOC president
Joan Guetschow, athlete representative
John Ruger, athlete representative
Tom Hori, engineer
Richard Velez, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Marty Stephens, speaker, Utah House of Representatives
Lane Beattie, president, Utah Senate
Deseret News staff writers Alan Edwards and Jerry Spangler contributed to this report.