Dan Garza, a Toppenish city councilman, a leader in President Bush's state campaign and a state liquor agent, has been named Hispanic media coordinator for the U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C.

The appointment represents the Bush administration's commitment to serving the nation's growing Hispanic population, Garza said Tuesday.

The 33-year-old calls the job, which starts Aug. 9, a life-changing chance to work for his country.

"For the love of God, I was a farm worker and now I'm being appointed to one of the president's agencies," Garza said. "That's as real as you get."

Bush created the position to coordinate the spreading his administration's messages from top agencies, including Interior, to newspapers, television and other media sources.

Garza, a four-year member of the Toppenish City Council, served as state director for Hispanics for Bush, which was aimed at gaining that segment of the vote.

He will resign this week from the City Council and the state Liquor Control Board, where he worked for three years as an enforcement agent.

He also has worked as a Toppenish police officer and a legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings' Yakima office.

Garza spent the first part of his life traveling with his family between agricultural jobs. At 15, his family settled into the Yakima Valley.

Party leaders congratulated Garza on the appointment.

State Republican Chairman Chris Vance said Bush highlighted Washington with the selection, rather than choosing a coordinator from a better-known state with a large Spanish-speaking population.

"To have someone from Washington in this position, instead of California or Texas, is a real coup for us," Vance said.

"This is a key position for the president, and I think getting Dan Garza in there is a step in the right direction," Vance added.

State Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, said he expects Garza to perform well. He connects quickly with people and understands Republican politics well, Honeyford said.

"I think he'll do an excellent job," the senator said. "I was pestering him all the time to get ready to run for legislative office."

Garza plans to eventually return to the Yakima Valley. He remains interested in politics, but he offered no firm plans in that regard.

As media coordinator, Garza wants to help Hispanics understand recreational and commercial opportunities available to them through the Interior Department, which oversees the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies.

"There's just so much going on and so much information to put out, which had not been done in the past, effectively at least, in regards to the Hispanic community," Garza said.

The Interior Department's actions hold special significance in the Yakima Valley, where issues involving federal irrigation projects, the Yakama Nation and federal wildlife policies, can have major economic implications.

Reaching out to Hispanics should help involve them in politics and national affairs, Garza said.

"It's not only what this country can do for Hispanics, but what Hispanics can do for this country," he said.