ELKHART -- The list is out. Mayor-elect Dick Moore announced most of his 2008 mayoral appointments Thursday evening -- some positions stayed the same, some bring familiar faces and some are brand new.

Moore had been collecting résumés and doing interviews since immediately after the election and said the number of applications was great.

"The decisions had to be made," the incoming mayor said. "I put a team together that will help fulfill the commitments I made during my campaign."

One of those campaign promises was to improve Elkhart's public safety, and helping Moore with the job as police chief will be a former head of the Elkhart detective bureau, Dale Pflibsen.

Pflibsen spent more than 30 years with the police department before becoming a criminal investigator for the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office. According to Moore's release, Pflibsen is working security at the federal building in South Bend.

Pfibsen's assistant chief will be longtime Elkhart officer Tim Balyeat. Steve Mock will be investigations captain, Tom Love will be patrol captain and Brian Prugh will be training captain.

In the Elkhart Fire Department, Moore named Mike Compton the new chief. Compton has been with the department since 1988 and is the current division chief of administration.

Shaun Edgerton -- whom Mayor Dave Miller will swear in Monday as the department's chief for the remaining 22 days of December -- will be the assistant chief. Edgerton has been assistant fire chief since 2006 but will serve as chief until the year's end in the wake of Fire Chief Richard Snell's retirement on Monday.

One familiar name to surface in Moore's administration is that of longtime councilman -- and Moore's opponent in the Democratic mayoral primary -- Arvis Dawson.

Dawson will be the new community affairs director, a position now held by Wayne Kramer and one Dawson has fought to eliminate from the city payroll for a number of budget sessions.

Dawson said Thursday the job description will be altered from Kramer's duties -- the key spokesman for the mayor and administration.

"It will be a different role," he said. "As we go through the changing of reorganization it will be better defined. It gives me the opportunity to work on the other side of council."

Dawson will retire from physical-education teaching in Elkhart Community Schools. He has worked for the district since 1977. His last Elkhart City Council meeting is Dec. 17 -- he didn't seek re-election for the 5th District spot, choosing instead to run for mayor in the primary.

In perhaps the position closest to Moore's heart, street commissioner, the mayor-elect and former street commissioner will keep Marty Morgan in charge of the streets.

Moore said Thursday he has plans for the department. Reorganization cut back the number of street department employees, and updated equipment is needed, he said.

"I'm confident of (Marty's) abilities but he's been put in a difficult situation equipment- and personnel-wise," Moore said. "I have to be the one to help him put things back together but he'll do quite well."

Other positions staying the same as the new year rolls in are those of city controller and corporation counsel. Steve Malone will continue his watch over the city finances. Malone took the position during Miller's administration in 2005 and has worked to remedy issues found during the state's audit of the city books. Malone served as Elkhart County Auditor from 1996 until 2003.

Attorney Vlado Vranjes will continue heading up the city legal department, a position he's held since Miller's first year in office in 2000. The legal department will see some changes, however. Current City Attorney Larry Meteiver won't continue his duties for the city. Deputy City Attorney Amber Bressler will take his place while newcomer Johnny Ulmer, a South Bend lawyer, will be the new deputy city attorney.

Moore's decision to do away with the 2006 reorganization put in place by Miller eliminates the directors appointed to oversee the city's seven offices -- into which dozens of city departments were folded. Those directors were responsible for overseeing the departments in their charge and reporting to the mayor.

Throughout his campaign, Moore argued against the need for another level of administrative positions. Those positions, and for the most part all of the current directors, will no longer be on the city payroll. Those directors include Planning and Development director Mark Brinson, Parks and Cultural Resources director Bob Edel, Public Safety director Nelson Chipman and Office of Administration director Joy Willett.

In addition to Vranjes and Malone, Moore has asked co-directors of public works Laura Kolo and Mike Machlan to continue with the city.

Asked about current city staff not asked to stay on, Moore said he knew the direction he wanted to take the city and has no criticism of those employees.

"I was looking for a different direction in those appointments," he said. "I want a fresh approach."

The mayor-elect has a few more names to announce, including the head of the planning and human resource departments.

"There are a few more appointments I'll be making after the first of the year," he said. "I just want to take a little more time and reach out a little further."

Contact Bridget Levitz at blevitz@etruth.com.