Formerly president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, he has been among the three top stewards of the economy, along with Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, and the Bush administration Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson.
Hours before the tempest, the three top stewards of the nation's financial system — Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner Benn S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, and William C. Dudley, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — had met to discuss how to react to shield the economy from the blow if Congress failed to raise the debt limit.
Although the departing government has tried in recent months to address decelerating growth by easing bank loan restrictions, increasing pensions and offering tax breaks to small businesses, a lack of consensus among the top stewards of the economy has stymied a more muscular response, insiders say.
"There are guys out there racing in their late 40's, but not riding six, seven horses a day like Tony," said Samuel Boulmetis Sr., the top steward at Monmouth Park, who also happens to be Mr. Black's uncle and the man who got him into racing in the first place.
The latest bout of stock market turmoil presents a major challenge to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who has portayed himself as the country's top economic steward, ahead of prime minister Li Keqiang.
The latest bout of stock market turmoil presents a major challenge to the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who has portayed himself as the country's top economic steward, ahead of the prime minister, Li Keqiang.
Mr. Wen, the nation's top economic steward, set a 7.5 percent target for growth in the coming year, an enviable rate in much of the world but well below the double-digit increases that have in recent years made China one of the world's fastest growing economies.
This second hierarchy had at its top the steward (alternatively seneschal or majordomo), who had the overriding responsibility for the domestic affairs of the household.
In nominating McCarthy to be the nation's top environmental steward, Obama is promoting a climate change champion and a 25-year veteran of environmental policy and politics.
They involve a little-watched trash authority, run by one of the governor's top aides, whose stewards became adept at turning trash into cash for well-connected insiders; a law firm that was on both sides of the deal; and a politically astute company skilled at using contributions and contacts to gain influence and government contracts.
Not one I'm certain would be at the top of my list for stewards of the fabled nuclear "red button," if I could pick any able-bodied person on Earth.
