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PHOENIX — With Secretary of State Jan Brewer's sudden rise to the governor's office, she can make the transition easier by leaving some of Janet Napolitano's appointees in place for a while, according to the man who coordinated an unplanned change in leadership.

Chris Herstam, who served as interim chief of staff for Jane Hull after Gov. Fife Symington resigned in 1997, said one key to a smooth change in power will be how intent the new governor is to replace the heads of various state agencies. With only a few exceptions, all serve at the pleasure of the governor and can be replaced by Brewer.

Herstam noted the shift of power will come as state agencies are being asked to pare their budgets even further. He said it may make sense to leave the people most familiar with where the money is going in place while all that happens.

He said, though, that Brewer may want to immediately oust those agency chiefs who are actively pursuing agendas contrary to the new governor's philosophy. And at the top of that list, said Herstam, is likely to be Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens.

Herstam said, though, that Brewer should not begin wholesale replacements.

"You will have a more smooth transition if all of the agency directors are not replaced at once," he said. Herstam said Brewer might want to take up to six months before putting in an entirely new team.

It was Herstam who helped guide Hull through the transition after Symington was convicted of fraud.

In that case, though, the process was much quicker: Symington quit less than a week after a federal jury found him guilty. And Hull, who was a Republican like Symington, left many department heads in place.

Herstam said whether Brewer wants to wait six months is "a philosophical and ideological call." He said that's probably why Owens is likely to be among the first out the door.

Owens has been at the forefront of the push by Gov. Janet Napolitano to enact new state regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

It was Owens who pushed through new vehicle emission rules earlier this year over legislative objections. And Owens is crafting new limits on industrial emissions, limits for which Napolitano said she might not seek approval of lawmakers.

"But many of the other state agencies are going to be consumed with cutting budgets and trying to provide as much service to the citizens of Arizona as possible while reducing their agency budgets by enormous, almost historical amounts," Herstam said.

"Those directors will know the agencies very well," he continued. "Once they get their marching orders from the new governor with regards to budget cuts, they're very capable of carrying those orders out, no matter who the governor is."

There are some agencies whose chiefs have fixed terms of office and who are entitled to remain if they desire. These include the state insurance director and the director of the Department of Public Safety.

A DEQ spokesman said he does not know the DEQ director's future plans.