The city of Bend has a new economic development director: Katy Brooks, the Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO for the past nine years, the city announced Wednesday.

Chief among Brooks’ accomplishments at the chamber was growing the membership to become the third-largest membership organization in Oregon. Under her leadership, the chamber took a leading role in trying to solve Bend’s affordable housing and child care problems. 

In her new role, Brooks will be responsible for seeing that the city meets its economic development goals established by the Bend City Council, said Erik King, city manager.“She’s been around Bend for almost a decade and we’ve worked closely with the chamber, “ King said. “Katy’s position is shaped around the council’s goals and she will hit the ground running.”

The city’s three economic development goals are: gather data to inform strategies to drive business to Bend, get community input to formulate the Invest Bend campaign and focus on urban renewal.

“We are thrilled to welcome Katy to our team, bringing a wealth of deep experience in economic development in both public and private sectors to help drive our city’s vision for economic prosperity,” King said in a prepared statement. “With a proven track record leading transformative initiatives such as establishing a workforce homeownership fund and forming the Central Oregon Business Alliance to unify regional economic forces, Katy will lead the charge in implementing innovative strategies that empower our community, strengthen our local economy, and ensure opportunities for Bend’s businesses and residents.” 

The city has a two-year goal to increase community prosperity through job growth, workforce development and creating livable wages, King said in the prepared statement.

“I am excited to work with the city team to fulfill the City Council’s goal to prioritize job growth, workforce development, and a strong economy,” Brooks said. “I plan to bring what I’ve learned from the Bend business community and working with partners to find solutions to inform this work.”

There are many factors impacting businesses, ranging from the ubiquitous impacts of high-cost housing, the cost of land and development, workforce evolution, and adapting to external changes such as supply chain disruptions and tariffs, Brooks said. 

During Brooks’ time at the helm of the chamber, Central Oregon was identified as an economic powerhouse for its growth in employment compared to other regions in Oregon because it has the highest employment levels and is poised to experience more job growth, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

“Over the past decade, Deschutes County’s total non-farm employment rose by 34%,” said Damon Runberg, Business Oregon economist.  “No other metropolitan county in the state was even close to matching that rate of growth with Columbia County at 17% and Clackamas at 16%. 

“That 34% represents over 25,000  new jobs in the county in just 10 years.”

Jon Stark, Economic Development for Central Oregon CEO, was pleased to hear about Brooks’ appointment to the city of Bend. 

“Her experience and dedication to the region, evidenced by the Bend Chamber’s success over the past nine years, positions her well to support Bend’s continued growth and economic vitality.”