Rob Cornilles
| Rob Cornilles | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 17, 1964 Portland, Oregon |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University, Utah |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Spouse(s) | Allison Au |
| Children | 3 |
Robert Young "Rob" Cornilles (/kɔːrˈnɪlɪs/ kor-NIL-iss; born April 17, 1964) is an aspiring businessman and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is the founder of Game Face, which developed sales training programs for sports executives, and was also Director of Marketing for SRO Partners. Cornilles has twice been the unsuccessful Republican Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives, attempting to represent Oregon's 1st congressional district.
Early life and career
Born in Portland, Cornilles grew up in neighboring Washington and Yamhill counties, and graduated from Newberg High School in Newberg, Oregon. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.[1][2][3] Rob and his wife Allison lived and worked in Japan as Assistant Language Teachers on the JET Programme from 1988-89.[4] Rob started Game Face in 1995, though the business encountered multiple financial troubles starting in 2007, which resulted in shrinking head counts, the closing of their corporate office, and a federal tax lien due to unpaid taxes.[3][5][6] Cornilles was hired as vice president of investor and government relations and communications at ESCO Corporation[7] in 2012 but as of 2015 he was no longer employed there for undisclosed reasons.
Political career and scandals
Cornilles was the Republican nominee in the 2010 election for Oregon's 1st congressional district against Democratic incumbent David Wu. Cornilles was defeated by a margin of 55% to 43%. Wu resigned from Congress in August 2011, and in the 2012 special election to fill the vacant seat, Cornilles was again defeated, this time by Democrat Suzanne Bonamici, by a margin of 54% to 40%.[2][8] During the course of his campaign, Cornilles came under fire from the Portland media for questionable claims regarding the accuracy of his touted business track record and achievements concerning his Game Face business.[9] In 2003, as the Forest Grove News-Times first reported, the company settled Bureau of Labor and Industries complaints by three Game Face trainees who alleged they'd worked hundreds of hours without being paid. Cornilles denies wrongdoing, but he paid the three about $9,000 to avoid litigation[9][10] Game Face eventually agreed to pay unpaid back wages to employees and the academy was closed in 2008. In 2011, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee alleged that Cornilles is a "sham businessman." [11]
Personal
Cornilles and his wife Allison live in Tualatin. They have three sons.[3][6][12]
References
- ↑ "Rob Cornilles announces candidacy for US Congress". Oregon Catalyst. August 4, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- 1 2 "Candidate Information: Robert Y. Cornilles". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Mapes, Jeff (December 12, 2011). "Republican Rob Cornilles' sports marketing company looms large in his race for Congress". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.jetaaportland.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2010_Q2-Sept_JETAA-Portland-Newsletter.pdf
- ↑ "It's All in the Game". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- 1 2 "About Us". Game Face. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ↑ "Cornilles lands Esco Corp. job - Portland Business Journal". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ Blake, Aaron (January 31, 2012). "Democrat Suzanne Bonamici wins Oregon special election". Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- 1 2 "Republican Rob Cornilles' sports marketing company looms large in his race for Congress". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ "Our Primary Picks to Replace David Wu". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ "Republican Rob Cornilles Exposed: A Sham Businessman". archive.dccc.org. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ "Voter's Guide: Representative in Congress, 1st District". OregonLive.com. Retrieved August 16, 2011.