ABOUT

Our family has been living in Bend for 13 years, and we have always been deeply invested in this community through both our business and philanthropic efforts. My wife is originally from Portland, and I moved to Oregon from Ireland in 2007. Raising our daughter here has been a wonderful experience, and we truly value the community we call home. As a local business owner, I am writing to express my interest in contributing to the future development of downtown Bend. I am eager to support initiatives that benefit our downtown business owners with the continued growth of our vibrant tourist industry and wonderful City. I'm also the finance chair for boys and girls 8, which is Oregon's oldest foster adoption agency and have been on that board for 10 years, with six of those being as board chair.

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST ASSETS?

Phenomenal walkability, historic buildings and a wonderful curation of local businesses

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES?

Continued beautification of the area. Initiatives that ensure downtown businesses continue to prosper and grow. Providing all conveniences, amenities and services that are needed in a vibrant downtown such as Bend.

WHAT ARE DOWNTOWN’S THREE GREATEST CHALLENGES?

Optimization and best use of the footprint for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists. Ensuring budget and planning is in place to ensure that as the city grows, downtown does not lose its charm or it's incredibly beautiful presence Alignment between varying parties on the right direction forward so that it is for the benefit of downtown, objective and not subjective or self-serving.

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

We are grateful that our family has the opportunity to live in such a wonderful community and operate a local business here. As business owners, I believe it is incredibly important that we remain committed to the betterment of our downtown area and focus on strategically positioning it for future success. Additionally, I've met so many great business owners downtown and being a part of a group that is aligned and pushing great initiatives for the future is something that is imperative for the betterment of downtown Bend.