As a model for strengthening his Cabinet, Gov. John Baldacci might look back to 2005, when his Department of Environmental Protection endured a small crisis over former Commissioner Dawn Gallagher’s dealings with International Paper. Baldacci solved it by replacing his commissioner with David Littell, an official respected by a wide range of advocates and experts for his experience and competence, and by most accounts DEP is stronger today.

The governor has made several encouraging announcements recently. For instance, promoting Karen Tilberg from deputy commissioner of the Conservation Department to the role of senior policy adviser was welcome. She has done excellent work at the department, and her insight will be of benefit to the governor in the coming term. Similarly, elevating State Budget Officer Ryan Low to deputy chief of staff will help the governor’s relationship with the Legislature. Mr. Low’s knowledge of budget matters will improve communication between the executive and legislative branches on these issues.

The governor will have more personnel changes in the coming weeks, and as he does, the public should expect more aggressive strategies, especially in the area of economic development. Jack Cashman, head of the Department of Economic and Community Development, will become a senior adviser to the governor, leaving open a crucial job in the administration. It is an opportunity for Mr. Baldacci to find a person with proven skills and development experience to complement his interest in the economic portions of the Brookings Institution report, “Charting Maine’s Future.”

For instance, a new DECD commissioner should be able to work easily with the governor’s new Council on Jobs, Innovation and the Economy, a bipartisan group of businesspeople he has appointed to help turn the Brookings report into action and related legislation. The governor is correct to make this report the centerpiece of his economic plans for the next couple of years but the new commissioner, in fact, all commissioners, will need to appreciate its importance as well.

Part of the governor’s challenge during his first term could be attributed to the public’s lack of confidence in the administration’s ability to lead the state. Gov. Baldacci has already said that he would in a second term more often explain policy and set the agenda, rather than leaving those jobs to department heads. That’s a positive change on the outward appearance of the administration; inside it, however, the governor will need people who offer him the breadth of understanding necessary to pass complex and far-reaching legislation.

To get those people he occasionally will need to forget party labels and even forget the comfort of long association, and go instead with people who have shown they can deliver.