Germán Trejo
German Trejo is a Mexican-American political consultant and president of Battleground Solutions. The company serves Democratic candidates and progressive non-profit organizations.[http://www.battlegroundsolutions.com Battleground Solutions], retrieved 2015-01-15.
Early life
Trejo was born in Morelia, Mexico.[http://www.germantrejo.com/#!about/ca9o "About"], germantrejo.com He moved to the US in 1998, and attended Ohio State University, at first majoring in architecture,{{cite web|title=German Trejo |work=Do Something Great |publisher=Ohio State University |url=http://www.osu.edu/dosomethinggreat/archive/students/trejo.html |accessdate=2012-02-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517072611/http://www.osu.edu/dosomethinggreat/archive/students/trejo.html |archivedate=May 17, 2011 }} and later in political science and international studies. He graduated in 2004. At Ohio he was vice president of its Council of Hispanic Organization,{{cite news|last1=Karcher|first1=Melissa|last2=Hicks|first2=Tom|title=Ten Latino groups unite, elect new VP|url=http://thelantern.com/2002/10/ten-latino-groups-unite-elect-new-vp/|work=The Lantern|publisher=Ohio State University|date=14 October 2002}} an unsuccessful candidate for vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government,{{cite news|last1=Bornhorst|first1=Nikki|title=Pauline, Goodman win USG election|url=http://thelantern.com/2002/04/pauline-goodman-win-usg-election/|work=The Lantern|publisher=Ohio State University|date=22 April 2002}} and co-chair of its Underrepresented Constituency Committee.{{cite news|last1=Aly|first1=R. H.|title=USG committee getting things done early in year|url=http://thelantern.com/2001/10/usg-committee-getting-things-done-early-in-year|work=The Lantern|publisher=Ohio State University|date=18 October 2001}}
Career
After graduating Trejo was appointed, from 2006–2009, to an unpaid position as consejero (adviser) to the Mexican government's Institute of Mexicans Abroad.[http://www.ime.gob.mx/images/stories/ime/CCIME/perfiles_1.pdf “Consejeros Titulares 2006-2008"], Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior, p. 40. Retrieved 2012-10-10. He has worked in three presidential races: Wisconsin in 2004, Ohio in 2008, and Florida in 2012. In 2004 he served as the Hispanic Outreach Director in Wisconsin for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.Democracy in Action, Kerry and Allies-Campaign Organization, Wisconsin. http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/kerry/kerrgenwi.html Retrieved 2012-10-10. As of 2007 he was the southeastern Ohio director of the Ohio Democratic Party.
Trejo was involved in 2009 in Centro Mexicano, a proposed community center in Columbus, Ohio. Trejo promoted the center's plans to house a Mexican consulate, a training center for Latinos, and a business services center targeting the Hispanic community.{{cite news| last = Kemper |first = Kevin | title = Mexico reaching out to Columbus |newspaper = Columbus Business First | date = 2006-12-18 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/12/18/story5.html}} He presented the center as a nonprofit organization while trying to secure funding, though he had not incorporated it as a nonprofit with the state,{{cite news | last = Czekalinski | first = Stephanie | title = Delay in Mexican center raises questions | newspaper = The Columbus Dispatch | date = 2007-06-14 | url = http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2007/06/14/CINCOCHECKS.ART_ART_06-14-07_B1_PU711MH.html}} and allegedly told investors that it was financially secure. Seven months after it was supposed to have opened, the center filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing $615 in assets and over $168,000 in debts.{{cite news | last = Czekalinski | first = Stephanie |author2=Jodi Andes | title = Investors startled by sudden demise of Centro Mexicano | newspaper = The Columbus Dispatch | date = 2007-10-14 | url = http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2007/10/14/CentroMexicano.ART_ART_10-14-07_B1_5G866KG.html}}
In 2011 Trejo founded G&T Consulting, a political-consulting firm catering to Latino Democratic candidates.[http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/bsqry/f?p=100:7:275900187999102::NO:7:P7_CHARTER_NUM:1244697 "Corporation details"], Ohio Secretary of State Business Services. Retrieved 2012-10-10. Since 2013 he has served as the president of Battleground Solutions. In 2013 he joined the board of Democracy Win.[http://www.democracywin.org/#!leadership/c1jxp DemocracyWin.org]. Retrieved 2013-11-15.