Lincoln Chafee's new choice for chief of staff, George Zainyeh, is a well-regarded figure in Rhode Island political circles. And the selection underscores one of the governor's strengths: a willingness to reach across the aisle, to make peace.

Chafee, after all, did battle with Zainyeh for the Warwick mayoralty years ago.

Congressman David Cicilline has named Brandon Naylor his new communications director.

Naylor, who worked in the same capacity for former Congressman Dennis Moore of Kansas, has been on the job for two days.

A Topeka native, Naylor says he arrived in Washington shortly after graduating from Kansas University. He landed a job as Moore's executive assistant and worked for the Democrat for four-and-a-half years, eventually rising to the post of communications director.

The post-election merry-go-round continues to turn, with Congressman Langevin's spokeswoman Joy Fox moving to treasurer-elect Gina Raimondo's office. She'll be joined in the communications office, there, by Dara Chadwick - a former editor of the Warwick Beacon and the Jamestown Press.

Fox will serve as Raimondo's deputy chief of staff and head of communications and community affairs - an important post, undoubtedly, for a treasurer-elect with some aggressive plans for community outreach.

Kudos + Congrats to Paul Tencher, formerly chief of staff to LG Elizabeth Roberts, whose future is taking him to the nation's capital:

I've been offered a job (and accepted) with Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio's 15th Congressional District. She is an outstanding freshman member of the 111th Congress and I have already visited her district in Columbus (Go Buckeyes!).

As part of some special inaugural online material, entitled Our White House, there's a great interview with local wordsmith Tom LaFauci, who formerly served on the staff of Joe Biden.

Some excerpts:

Is the inaugural address high stakes? What is its historical significance and how does it differ from a state of the union address?

Longtime local political-communications guru Bill Fischer, who served as Sheldon Whitehouse's chief of staff when Whitehouse was AG, sends word that he has launched a new firm, True North Communications.

The company, which has opened an office in Providence, will focus primarily on government and media relations for a variety of clients.

Matt Auten, one of the more visible enviros in RI, sends this word:

After five wonderful years of running Environment Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group and serving on the Environment Council of Rhode Island I have decided to move on to a new opportunity and will be leaving Environment Rhode Island and the Environment Council in the next few days.

Joining the recent migration of political staffers, West Warwick native Paul Tencher, former chief of staff for LG Elizabeth Roberts, sends word that he's headed West:

I have accepted an offer from Judy Baker, a wonderful woman running for Congress in Missouri's 9th Congressional District. Judy is one of the top open seats in the country and last week won a contentious three-way primary to become the nominee.

As previously reported by Matt, LG staffer Eli Zupnick, who worked on Obama's primary campaign, is the latest Roberts's staffer, following Larkin Barker, to join the Democratic candidate's push for November. From the LG's office:

PROVIDENCE— Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts announced today that Eli Zupnick will be leaving her staff to join Senator Barack Obama’s press team in the state of Washington.

UPDATE: Here's the official word:

PROVIDENCE– The Obama Campaign today announced Ray Sullivan will serve as Senator Obama’s Rhode Island State Director. Sullivan will work with Senator Obama’s grassroots supporters on the ground and reach out to Rhode Island voters about Obama’s commitment to changing politics in Washington, D.

Dan Barbarisi's got the details:

PROVIDENCE — Garry Bliss, the City of Providence’s top lobbyist and special projects guru, spent yesterday cleaning out his desk in preparation for his last day of work today. His walls were bare, save one poster, a framed rectangular fresco that Bliss picked up in Italy and hung over his chair.

Rachael Bornstein is filling the legislative director role for US Representative Jim Langevin in his DC office, succeeding 10-year veteran Brian Daniels, a Warwick native, who plans to pursue an MBA at Yale. Daniels formerly worked for former US Representative Robert Weygand.

Bornstein, who hails from Maryland, comes from the office of US Representative Patrick J.

Andrea Marcoccio, a staffer at Cranston-based Vision Strategies, is the latest Rhode Islander to take an out-of-state assignment with Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

In an e-mail, the firm’s husband and wife partners, Bill Fischer and Jenn Bramley, write that Marcoccio . . .

is moving to Montana to assist Barack Obama's campaign, making her last day at Vision Strategies this Friday, August 1.

Scott MacKay in the ProJo and Matt have the details on Christine Heenan, the longtime local PR and consulting expert who worked in the Clinton White House and who was spokeswoman for Hillary's RI campaign, taking a new gig in Cambridge. (Obligatory only-in-RI connections: Christine is the daughter of former Phoenix columnist Pam Steager.