The dog days of summer are behind us, but even over the lazier months there was nary a lull in the moving-around among personnel and staff throughout the NYC public sector and nonprofit world.

At the city’s executive branch, those changes have been manifested both within the mayor’s office and at a variety of agencies. In August, Mayor Bloomberg announced the appointment of the first-ever commissioner for the Office of Veterans’ Affairs, Roger Newman, a former deputy commissioner at the Department of Homeless Services, as well as a former manager at the Human Resources Administration. Although the office has existed since a 1987 city charter change, the naming of a commissioner elevates its status.

On the heels of losing Director Carl Hum recently, the Mayor’s Office for Industrial & Manufacturing Businesses also saw the departure of deputy director Mark Foggin. A former IRS office head in Washington, Diane Crothers, was appointed to the newly-created post of deputy commissioner for citywide equal employment opportunity at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. And at the Administration for Children’s Services, Deputy Commissioner for Family Permanency Services Jeanette Ruiz has left to become a Brooklyn Family Court judge. Also, former ACS executive deputy commissioner Zeinab Chahine has joined Casey Family Programs to serve as its managing director of strategic consulting to help the organization expand into New York City.

The Civilian Complaint Review Board, which assesses citizen complaints about the police, has chosen an employee of the Department of Education as its new executive director. Joan Thompson, who was the DOE’s director of equal opportunity, replaces Florence Finkle, who resigned in May to work in the New York State Attorney General’s office.

On the other side of City Hall, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn appointed a new communications director, television news professional Jamie McShane, replacing Sandra Mullin, who is now the senior vice president of communications at the World Lung Foundation. Former Council Speaker Gifford Miller’s one-time press secretary, Chris Policano, is now wearing that hat for Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers (with a stop in-between at Phoenix House New York). Manhattan City Councilmember Gale Brewer’s chief of staff Bruce Lai left to become chief of staff to the Department of Education’s chief information officer. Austin Shafran, former director of communications for City Council Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin has joined the political consulting firm Sheinkopf Ltd.

Rounding out the communications chess game, the New York Civil Liberties Union has a new communications director in Jennifer Carnig, who was regional communications director for Teach for America. She replaces Maggie Gram, who left to attend Harvard’s graduate school and study literature.

In the not-for-profit sector, longtime chief executive officer of the Municipal Arts Society Kent Barwick plans to step down from that post in early 2008. Barwick also served twice as MAS president and as its first full-time executive director. He’ll return as president emeritus. MAS vice president for communications Brian Connolly also bid adieu at the end of the summer.

Another nonprofit veteran, Citizens Committee for Children executive director Gail Nayowith, has left the position she held for 15 years to become the founding executive director of the Laurie M. Tisch Foundation. CCC’s associative executive director, Jennifer March-Joly, will serve as acting chief while the board searches for Nayowith’s replacement.

Founder and executive director of Art for Change, Eliana Godoy, has swapped positions within the organization, and is now vice president of the board. Godoy is working full-time at Carlitos Caf