At the helm of an administration that's seemed out of step, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has brought in his former high school athletic trainer to help whip things into shape.

David White, 37, started a week ago in a new communications post called director of public affairs that the Ravenstahl administration may discuss in more detail as soon as today. His salary is $88,859.

His is one of several recent and coming additions in an ongoing staff shake-up. The hires come at a time when the administration has been rocked by public anger at the June 18 promotions of three police officers who have faced accusations of domestic abuse and while 11 officials await word on whether they'll be retained following a mass resignation request issued on June 14.

Neither the mayor nor Mr. White submitted to interviews on the topic Friday.

Mr. White was most recently the manager of community relations for UPMC Health Plan, and before that he was executive director of the organization that ran the 2005 Senior Olympics here. A key credential for his current job, though, is his former position as athletic trainer at North Catholic High School, where Mr. Ravenstahl played baseball and football.

After Mr. Ravenstahl graduated, the two remained close, often meeting to go running or golfing, Mr. White revealed in an October interview. A week before then-Mayor Bob O'Connor was hospitalized for the nervous system cancer that killed him, Mr. Ravenstahl and Mr. White were together on a golfing trip to Orlando, Fla.

Because city employees must live in the city, Mr. White's new job necessitated a rapid move from Mars to Troy Hill.

He's one of several new additions to the mayor's staff.

Ed Gainey, 37, of Highland Park, is the new community development specialist, earning $52,169. A two-time candidate for the state House, he continues to serve as vice chairman of the city's Democratic Committee. He was the manager of special projects under former Mayor Tom Murphy.

Mr. Ravenstahl also recently brought Laureen A. Dierker, 48, of Spring Hill, back to the mayor's office. A senior secretary under Mr. Murphy, she worked for the Pittsburgh Parking Authority before returning to the city post in the last few months.

Coming on board this week as deputy chief of staff, earning $64,191, is Kristin Baginski, whose background is in business and academia. And Sabrina S. Saunders, a former aide to U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, a mayoral ally, will be a special assistant to the mayor, earning $46,153 and focusing on planning and coordinating the administration's various efforts.

The mayor has also said he'll promptly hire a management strategy coordinator to improve city operations and an equal opportunity employment manager to boost work-force diversity.

Set to start later this month is Jennifer Gomez, who will be the Business Assistance and Retention Team manager, a new position the mayor pledged in September to create. According to the administration, she has a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and is now working in Florida on a city planning board panel.

More shifts may be coming, and a few would be costly.

The mayor has said he got resignation letters from the seven city department directors and four authority directors from whom he requested them. He has not accepted the directors' resignations, promising instead to consider them as candidates to keep their jobs while he conducts a nationwide search.

Already, lobbying is afoot for some challengers for the posts. For instance, e-mails touting John Moon, assistant chief of the Emergency Medical Services Bureau, for the chief's post currently held by Robert McCaughan have reached the mayor.

Two of the authority directors have severance clauses in their contracts.

Housing Authority Executive Director A. Fulton Meachem Jr. would get one year's salary and the value of one year's benefits if he is let go. He earns $135,000, and he estimated that the value of his benefits would boost that to around $180,000.

If Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Jerome Dettore is let go before year's end, he is due a year's salary, or around $112,000, based on his earnings last year.

It's unclear whether the amounts would be payable if either of the two resigned under pressure.

The other affected authority heads, Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato and Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority Executive Director Greg Tutsock, said they do not have severance arrangements.

The other city department heads who have submitted resignation letters are Public Works Director Guy Costa, city Information Systems Director Howard Stern, Equal Opportunity Review Commission Manager Phil Petite, Parks Director Duane Ashley, acting Solicitor George Specter and Chief of Building Inspection Ron Graziano.

Also still open is the job of mayor's spokesperson.