It's difficult to imagine a tougher start to a new job than the one Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli faced in 2007. His disgraced predecessor, Alan Hevesi, resigned weeks after his re-election, and, in a tumultuous process, the legislature picked DiNapoli, who rose to the challenge admirably.

DiNapoli has climbed a frightfully steep learning curve, brought stability to a demoralized agency, and tackled a cascade of crises. At the top of that list is the deep recession that has taken a large bite out of the state's common retirement fund, and the series of Newsday stories showing how attorneys for school districts were gaming the pension system. He has also overseen audits of school districts and the troubled MTA.