David Gomberg
(born June 9, 1953) is a
Democratic member of the
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...
, representing District 10 on the state's central coast since January 14, 2013. He served in political staff and lobbying positions in Oregon prior to his election to the Legislature. He's the retired head of his own kite design and construction business.
Education
Gomberg earned his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
in 1976 when he also served as student body president. In 1977, he earned a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. from
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
in Political Science, Economics, and History. In 1981, Gomberg earned an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from
Willamette University
Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...
's
Atkinson Graduate School of Management
The Willamette University MBA (Atkinson) is the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is one of only two MBA programs in the world accredited for both Business Administration ...
.
Early life
David Gomberg was born in 1953, in London, England, the son of a US Air Force officer and his British wife. He graduated from Hiram Johnson High School in Sacramento California in 1971.
Gomberg moved to Oregon and enrolled at Oregon State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science, with Honors, in 1976, served as student body president, and earned an Interdisciplinary master's degree in Political Science, History, and Economics in 1977.
In 1978, Gomberg worked for US Congressman
Les AuCoin
Walter Leslie AuCoin ( ; born October 21, 1942) is an American politician. In 1974 he became the first person from the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from , since it was forme ...
in Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon. He then attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, earning an MBA in 1981.
In 1981 and 1983, Gomberg worked in the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a Chief-of-Staff to freshman legislator
Barbara Roberts
Barbara Kay Roberts (née Hughey; born December 21, 1936) is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the List of Governors of Oregon, 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She was the first List ...
and then as administrator of the House Education Committee. He then spent three years as an Administrative Hearings Referee for the Department of Motor Vehicles, a position he lost when he declined to cross a public employee picket line.
David Gomberg married Susan Elizabeth Oswald in 1986.
In 1988, the Gombergs moved to the Oregon Coast where David worked as executive director of the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce. He left that position two years later to focus on his growing kite business.
Kites
Gomberg Kite Productions International (GKPI) was a design and manufacturing, wholesale, and retail business. They operated three web pages and three Northwest Winds retail stores. Their company produced large inflatable kites and custom line decor for retail customers and select wholesale accounts. GKPI also produced a quality series of introductory kites and accessories under the G-Kites brand.
Gomberg has authored four books on kite flying. He served ten terms as president of the
American Kitefliers Association The American Kitefliers Association (AKA) was created in 1964 by Robert M. Ingraham of New Mexico. Its purpose is to educate the public in the art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying kites and advance the joys and values of kit ...
(AKA) and four terms as president of the
Kite Trade Association International
A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...
(KTAI). Both organizations recognized Gomberg with their lifetime achievement awards and in 2005, Gomberg was inducted in th
World Kiting Hall of Fame
![Largest Kite in the World](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Largest_Kite_in_the_World.jpg)
In 2012, GKPI was named Business of the Year in Lincoln City, Oregon. They have also been finalists twice for the Austin Excellence in Family Business awards.
GKPI also specialized in performances with larger show kites. David and Susan have flown in more than 40 countries and done shows for Walt Disney, motion pictures, and the Super Bowl. David has been named an honorary citizen of Weifang, China and Berck, France, and is a patron of the Cape Mental Health Kite Festival in South Africa.
In 2005, GKPI acquired a kite, one of the largest kites in the world.
During 2018–2019, David ramped down and closed GKPI in order to focus on his political career and other personal interests. Some of the smaller Gomberg designs were taken over by other kite manufacturers and are still available today.
Political life
In 2012, David was elected to represent House District 10 in the Oregon Legislature. The district includes portions of Lincoln, Tillamook, Yamhill, and Polk counties, stretching over 100 miles of the central coast and inland 50 miles through the Coast Range. His legislative efforts have focused on small business support, reviving our public education system, collecting delinquent state taxes and debt, environmental sustainability and conservation, and ensuring independence and dignity for seniors and the disabled.
![Gomberg Speech](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Gomberg_Speech.jpg)
When Democratic Representative
Jean Cowan
Jean Cowan (born 1947) is an American Democratic politician who served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2007 until 2013.
Career
Cowan served as city councillor and mayor of Elgin, and then as a Lincoln County Commissioner for 12 ye ...
retired and left the District 10 seat open, Gomberg was unopposed for the May 15, 2012, Democratic Primary, winning with 5,006 votes, and won the November 6, 2012, General election with 15,978 votes (59.1%) against
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee Jerome Grant.
David Gomberg was unopposed in his 2014 re-election bid, having earned nominations of the Democrat, Independent, Working Families, and Republican parties. In 2015, Gomberg was elected to House Leadership as Assistant Majority Leader. In 2016, he was elected to a third term, defeating Republican Thomas Donohue by 56 to 43 percent.
David currently serves on the Joint Ways & Means Committee, serves as co-chair for the Ways & Means Transportation & Economic Development subcommittee, sits on the Ways & Means General Government subcommittee, and serves on the House Economic Development and Trade committee. He is a member of the Governor's Commission on Senior Services and the Ocean Science Trust.
In 2016, David was asked to co-chair the House Special Committee on Small Business Growth and was appointed to the Governor's Cabinet on Small Business.
Committee assignments
2017–18 Session
* Joint Committee on Ways and Means
* Co-chair: Ways and Means sub-Committee on Transportation and Economic Development
* Ways and Means sub-Committee on General Government
* House Committee on Economic Development and Trade
* Governor's Commission on Senior Services
* Ocean Science Trust
2015–16 Session
* Joint Committee on Ways and Means
* Co-chair: Ways and Means sub-Committee on Transportation and Economic Development
* Ways and Means sub-Committee on Natural Resources
* House Committee on Rural Communities, Land Use, and Water
* Co-chair: House Special Committee on Small Business Growth
* Governor's Commission on Senior Services
* Governor's Small Business Cabinet
* Ocean Science Trust
2013–14 Session
* Vice Chair: House Committee on Human Service and Housing
* House Committee on Education
* Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government
* House Small Business Task Force
* Governor's Commission on Senior Services
Electoral history
References
External links
Official pageat the
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...
Campaign site!--
Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template:
Biographyat
Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
Financial information (state office)at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomberg, David
Place of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon State University alumni
People from Lincoln County, Oregon
Willamette University alumni
1953 births
21st-century American politicians