In an attempt to strengthen her executive Cabinet - and perhaps lay the groundwork for political prominence beyond her home county - Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens announced significant changes to her executive Cabinet yesterday.

The county executive will replace current Planning and Zoning Officer Denis Canavan with Joseph W. Rutter Jr., who currently heads Howard County's Department of Planning and Zoning.

She appointed as her chief of staff Bob DiPietro, her campaign spokesman in this year's election, and former mayor of Laurel and Maryland Jockey Club executive.

Owens also shuffled two other Cabinet positions.

The county executive chalked up her Cabinet shuffle, which followed a request last week that all her appointees submit letters of resignation, to an effort to better match the skills of administrators to their job duties.

The changes were made "to strengthen and improve services and plug holes that I saw," Owens said.

Others said the move signaled that Owens might be mapping out a political future beyond Anne Arundel County.

"As a political thing, it certainly makes her more attractive as a candidate to do what's right for the county," said William F. Chaney, Owens' friend and campaign treasurer, who has talked about her as a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2006.

Chaney also has said that Owens would make a convincing lieutenant governor.

County Council Vice Chairman C. Edward Middlebrooks, a Republican from Severn, said he wanted to make sure new Cabinet salaries are not inflated.

"Clearly it's her job to run the administration and make her own appointments," he said, adding that he had yet to fully digest the Cabinet-level shuffling.

Owens tried to hire Rutter away from Howard County four years ago but was rebuffed. Rutter, who has battled with anti-development groups in Howard during his past 12 years in the director's seat, said yesterday that the timing was right this time.

"I am at a different place than I was four years ago," Rutter said, adding that in 1998 he was gearing up to revamp Howard's general development plan, a process he wanted to see to completion.

Rutter's salary when he starts his job in Anne Arundel County on Jan. 17 will be $110,000. He makes $102,800 in Howard County.

Rutter said he wants to be "business friendly" in his new position but also plans to examine waiver programs to make sure they aren't too weak. Of his pro-development reputation among some Howard County residents, Rutter said he hasn't "approved anything that didn't comply with the law."

In taking over the county's top planning and zoning job, Rutter steps into a hornet's nest.

The office has long been criticized by builders and residents, but for different reasons. Builders say the office agonizes over zoning changes and building permits, making it more costly to do business in Anne Arundel County. Residents often attack the office for going too easy on developers.

Canavan, the current planning and zoning officer, will move to a new position of director of planning and research. His move was seen by many inside county government as a demotion, and he could not be reached for comment yesterday. His salary will remain at $102,978 a year.

As Owens' chief of staff, DiPietro - who also served as director of intergovernmental relations under former Gov. William Donald Schaefer - will earn $105,000 a year.

"I see this as a great opportunity to get back into public policy and public service," said DiPietro, who added that his new job with the county should not be construed as a favor for the work he did on her campaign.

Owens' current chief of staff, Fred G. Schram, will take over as director of central services. Schram, a former dean of administrative services at Anne Arundel Community College, joined Owens' staff in 2000.

Owens said Schram's experience at the college, where he built four classroom buildings, renovated four others and installed an emergency-management system, made him a good fit to manage central services. He will earn $95,000 a year.

Spurgeon R. Eismeier, who currently runs the central services division, will head up the Department of Inspections and Permits, a move he said made sense given his prior work experience.