HARRISBURG — Tom Corbett filled the hot seat in his prospective Cabinet on Wednesday by appointing former state education chief Charles Zogby as his budget secretary, while the man Corbett tapped to become his chief of staff said he has changed his mind and is accepting a job with the governor-elect’s longtime political consultant.

As Republican Corbett’s top budget adviser, Zogby will play a central role in a looming debate over state spending that is almost certain to be contentious even though his party’s takeover of the House in this year’s elections gave it control of both chambers of the Legislature.

Corbett vowed during his election campaign to balance the 2011-12 budget without increasing state taxes or fees, despite widespread expectations of a potential deficit of $4 billion or more.

Wednesday’s announcement ended weeks of speculation about whom the incoming governor would choose for the post.

“Charles Zogby’s experience and knowledge of the inner workings of state government make him an ideal choice,” Corbett said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Brian Nutt confirmed he has accepted an offer to become a managing partner of the BrabenderCox political consulting firm in a new Harrisburg office instead of accompanying Corbett to the Capitol as chief of staff — an appointment Corbett announced earlier this month. Nutt plans to stay on as chief of staff for Corbett’s transition team.

Nutt, 39, managed Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign, as well as both of his successful campaigns for attorney general. BrabenderCox worked closely with both men as political strategist for all three campaigns.

John Brabender, the company’s chief creative officer, said he began urging Nutt to consider joining the company before last month’s election. Nutt said he finally decided that joining the firm would give him more of an opportunity to do the political work he loves than a job in state government would have.

Brabender joked that Nutt “realized that he had to do real work ... and his senses came to him.”

Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said there were no hard feelings and that Nutt would continue to serve as Corbett’s political strategist in his new job.

They “will continue to speak on a daily basis,” Harley said.

Zogby, 48, who lives outside of the capital in Mechanicsburg, was education secretary under Govs. Tom Ridge and Mark Schweiker from 2001 to 2003. He served as Ridge’s policy director from 1995 to 2001.

Since 2003, Zogby has been senior vice president of Virginia-based K12 Inc., an online school curriculum developer and provider, although he said he has continued to live in Pennsylvania.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Zogby said his work as policy director was closely connected to the budget.

“The governor’s budget is the largest policy document that any governor will do,” he said. “How you spend money is policy.”

Zogby holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Lawrence University and a law degree from George Mason University.

“I appreciate the tremendous challenge that’s before me, that’s before the governor,” he said. “I’m anxious to get to work and help the governor deliver on his promises and agenda for Pennsylvania.”

His appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, was praised by Senate GOP leader Dominic Pileggi of Delaware County and Jake Corman of Centre County, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Zogby “has a track record of challenging conventional wisdom and questioning past practices. And in meeting the budget challenges facing Pennsylvania, we are certainly going to need to do things differently than we have in the past,” Pileggi said.

Rep. Joseph Markosek, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the projected deficit presents a “huge problem” for budget negotiators but that he is optimistic a solution can be hammered out.

The Allegheny County lawmaker said he does not know Zogby well, but that he was looking forward to working with him.