ABOUT

Hey DBBA! I'm Charlene--I have owned Bella Brides for 4 years and am in love with Downtown Bend. You've probably seen me pop my head in at board meetings from time to time, and I was a interim board member about a year ago. I couldn't be more proud to have a business here in Downtown Bend, and I would love the opportunity to be more involved in the long term direction of Downtown. I am from Corvallis originally, but my born-and-bred Bendite husband moved us over here 10 years ago, and we are here to stay forever. I'm super proud to be mom of 5- and 7-year-old girls and love nothing more than floating on an innertube in the closest body of water. I think I would provide the perspective of Bend's average busy middle-class family, with a foundation of business-minded initiative and outside-the-box problem solving. Let's keep Downtown Bend awesome, and continue moving forward! Thanks for your consideration!

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST ASSETS?

I believe downtown's 3 greatest assets are (1) our rare balance of quaint and clean, and vibrant and bustling; (2) our exceptional local businesses that offer quality over tourist-trap novelties; and (3) the adjacency to our beautiful river and Drake park.

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES?

I believe downtown's 3 greatest opportunities are (1) encouraging and enabling locals to regularly and continually visit downtown, (2) making it easy and safe for people to park downtown, and (3) congruent and thoughtful social media marketing.

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST CHALLENGES?

I believe downtown's 3 greatest challenges are (1) competing with the box factory on "cool" factor; (2) planning for future growth (parking) while preserving downtown Bend's integrity; and (3) ensuring that the success downtown, the heart of Bend, remains a top priority to city council.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE DBBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

I want to be on the DBBA Board of Directors because I want to do my part in ensuring the continued greatness of not only downtown, but Bend as a whole. A great place like Bend is a huge culmination of cool and interesting details, and I want to make sure we keep propelling forward with while preserving our authenticity and uniqueness.