A former state Department of Consumer Affairs bureau chief and auto industry director has been tapped to become California's small business advocate, according to an announcement this week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office.

Marty Keller, 55, of Sacramento moves into the $99,000-a-year post on May 15. The position has been vacant since November 2006, when former state advocate Dennis Trinidad retired.

Keller was unavailable for comment Thursday.

The office of the small business advocate, which operates through the governor's Office of Planning and Research, represents small-business interests before government entities. Keller is familiar with the Capitol, having served as executive director of the California Automotive Business Coalition since 2002. In addition, he was chief of the state Bureau of Automotive Repair from 1995 to 1999 and held other bureau posts within the state Department of Consumer Affairs. He has also worked in the private sector as president of Greenslip Inc., an automotive inspection service based in Sunnyvale.

"He understands how state government works and understands the private sector," said Scott Hauge, president of the San Francisco-based advocacy group Small Business California.