Within the past week, Governor David Paterson named Peter Iwanowicz acting commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Iwanowicz has served as Paterson's environmental policy advisor since March and previously led the DEC's Office of Climate Change during development of the state's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

He will add his new duties to his existing title but will not receive additional compensation, according to a press release issued by the governor's office. The new appointment does not require Senate confirmation.

Before he joined state government in 2007, Iwanowicz was vice president of the state chapter of the American Lung Association and also worked for Environmental Advocates of New York.

Grannis was fired after a memo he wrote to Paterson criticizing DEC staff and budget cuts was leaked to the media.