ADAM EDWARD CORNELIUS [RETIRED] CPA

THE SYSTEMIC GAP

Let’s be real for a second: our local political arena is full of folks who are incredibly skilled at performing solidarity online, but completely lost when handed a city ledger. Performative rhetoric doesn't make the #9 bus come on time. Empty posturing doesn’t repair that year-old pot hole you've ruined two bike tires on.

I spent 15 years working as a corporate CPA. I’ve spent my career as an auditor tracking down shady deals and outright fraud in city contracts, finding where money was leaking, and rebuilding the safeguards so it doesn't happen again. As your alderman, my promise is simple: protect our money, defend everyone's rights, and protect the wonderfully weird character of the neighborhoods we love.

THE NECESSITY OF ADVOCACY

True systemic representation isn't passive—it requires an intentional space at the table. I am running to bring an out, visible, and unapologetic bisexual voice to the Chicago City Council. By joining and expanding Chicago’s historic LGBTQ+ aldermanic caucus, my focus will be turning shared community experiences into tangible, line-item budget protections. Equity means making sure the floor beneath everyone is structurally sound.

ATTACHMENT A: Field Snapshot (June 28, 2026). Out on the streets along the Chicago Pride Parade route.

THE PROFESSIONAL LEDGER

Before asking for your vote, I believe in showing the receipts. Here is a transparent look at where I am currently deployed and the professional background I bring to the table:

CURRENT DEPLOYMENTS:

• Guest Pre-K Teacher: Chicago Public Schools.
• National Technology Board: Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
• Slack Moderation Team: Abdul for Senate. (Note: This role does not indicate an endorsement from Abdul El-Sayed.)

PREVIOUS ROLES & INITIATIVES:

• Corporate CPA: 15 years of forensic accounting, institutional auditing, and structural financial management.
• Board Governor & Finance Committee: Blue Lake Springs Homeowners Association.
• Founder & Owner: Cornelius Codes LLC, a software consulting and custom hardware firm.
• Philanthropic Founder: The Charlie Asher Cornelius Foundation and The Anna Solkowski Foundation.

For a complete, unredacted archive of my professional history, view the full resume at:
pocz.cc/resume.

INTENTIONAL ATTENTION

You cannot focus on a real neighborhood if your perspective is entirely consumed by the endless digital loop. To make sure my mind is locked onto actual constituent concerns, I choose to keep my standard text notifications completely turned off. When I am auditing an institutional spreadsheet or listening to a neighbor on their porch, I am entirely present.

But transparency requires accessibility. The voice queue is completely active: call the mobile line (listed in the site footer), and there is an 82% verified chance I'll answer the hardware myself.

THE BACKGROUND TRAJECTORY

This isn't an abstract theory or an academic study. During my time in Arnold, California, I worked on the ground to execute a historic breakthrough—becoming the first Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidate to secure a municipal Board Governor position in the State of California, County of Calaveras. I know how to organize, I know how the math ties out, and I'm ready to bring that practical, defensive perspective straight into Chicago City Council.