Gov. Susana Martinez has reshuffled top staff, including moving press spokesman Scott Darnell to a new job as deputy chief of staff.
Darnell said Thursday he starts the assignment next week and Enrique Knell will take over as director of communications in the governor's office.
Knell has served as spokesman in the Children Youth and Families Department.
Darnell fills a vacancy created when Deputy Chief of Staff Ryan Cangiolosi left last month for a job with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
Darnell will be paid $95,000 a year and Knell will receive $80,000 a year, the same that Darnell had earned.
The governor's other deputy chief of staff is Jessica Hernandez, who assumed that job in October after previously working as general counsel.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.