"I believe in doing stuff that other people haven't done."

Al Austin was one of the area's most important builders and developers starting in the 1950s. He was one of the area's most important Republican fundraisers starting not long after that. Known for his early development of West Shore, Austin says he has raised "probably a couple hundred million" dollars for local, state and national politicians who believe what he believes.

He's been a delegate or an alternate at every convention since 1972. He's the chairman of the local host committee for the current RNC. But this convention is different, say those who know him best, because it is the culmination of everything he's done professionally and politically.

How did this convention end up here? One way to answer that question is to look at the decade the city spent on three separate bids. The other is to consider more broadly the growth that put it in position to host an event of this magnitude. Austin is a key in both.

Read more at the Tampa Bay Times.