For those who missed this on the Political Scene blog on projo.com last week: Former U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee’s state director, John R. Pagliarini, has landed a top spot on the staff of Republican Governor Carcieri.

Pagliarini, known familiarly as J.R., begins work next week as Carcieri’s $110,816-a-year deputy chief of staff. He replaces Clark Greene, who left to become chief of staff and policy director for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

For Pagliarini, the new job marks a return to the State House and the state-level political arena. He was a policy associate-deputy chief of staff for former Governor Edward D. DiPrete (1986-90) and lobbyist-director of government relations for UnitedHealthcare of New England (1999-2003).

As Chafee’s state director/deputy chief of staff from May 2003 through the end of Chafee’s term, Pagliarini managed the senator’s statewide operations and oversaw a staff of 15. He also served as the senator’s official designee and represented him at events throughout the state.

When Chafee was mayor of Warwick, Pagliarini served as communications director from 1993 through January 1997, and then as community development coordinator until December of 1998.

Pagliarini also worked in state government from 1986 through 1990. He served as press office manager and later as a policy associate for Governor DiPrete. In 1990, he ran Bradford Gorham’s campaign for attorney general, and then worked as an account executive for strategy corporation.

In announcing the hiring, Carcieri said: “I am very pleased to bring someone of J.R.’s caliber to my staff. He has played an active role in government at the local, state, and federal levels, and he has a thorough understanding of how to get things accomplished. J.R. will play a critical role in my administration as we continue moving forward with my agenda that I outlined last week in my State of the State address.”

A graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, in Warwick, he received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Fairfield University and a master’s in public affairs from George Washington University.