David William Gomberg (born June 9, 1953) is a Democratic member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 10 on the state's central coast since January 14, 2013.[1] Prior to his election to the legislature, he was co-owner of a kite design, manufacturing, and sales business.
David Gomberg was born in 1953, in London, England, the son of a U.S. 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 U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin 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 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.[citation needed]
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.
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 10,970sqft (1,019m2) 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, Gomberg was elected to represent House District 10 in the Oregon Legislature. The district then included portions of Lincoln, Tillamook, Yamhill, and Polk counties. Following redistricting in 2020, the district included all of Lincoln County and western portions of Benton and Lane 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, government accountability, emergency response, 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.
Addressing the Oregon House in 2014
David currently serves as vice-chair of 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, serves on the Joint Committee On Legislative Audits and the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. He is a member of the Emergency Board, the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services, the Oregon Innovation Council, the Seismic Safety Commission, and the Ocean Science Trust.
Gomberg was elected as speaker pro tempore for the 2025 legislative session.[2]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
