Bend Chamber announces new president
The Bend Chamber Board of Directors announced Friday the hiring of Katy Brooks as the new president of the Bend Chamber of Commerce.
“The Bend Chamber board worked hard, with the help of Anne McDonald, principal of the mcd group, to find someone who will lead our organization into the future,” said Bend Chamber of Commerce Chair Elect Rob Moore.
The Bend Chamber received more than 200 applicants for the position and Brooks rose to the top, Moore said.
Brooks is a self-proclaimed connector of business, people and communities, as well as a compelling communicator who can rally support.
She comes to Bend from Portland, where she spent the last 10 years as the economic development director for the Port of Vancouver, Washington. Prior to the Port of Vancouver, Brooks worked for a variety of city and state organizations including Port of Portland, ODOT and the City of Sandy.
Brooks earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Southern Oregon State University.
“The Bend Chamber represents businesses that are the very fabric of making Bend vibrant and prosperous,” said Brooks. “I’m excited to help be the voice of employers who want to continue to contribute to making this the best place to live and work.”
In addition to serving in a variety of governmental and community-based entities, Brooks and her husband built EcoTech, LLC, an environmental contracting company, from the ground up to a $3M+ company with locations in Portland, Eugene and, soon, Bend.
Brooks is scheduled to step into her role as Bend Chamber president on Oct. 10 and welcomes the opportunity to meet with members of both the Bend Chamber and the community. Brooks will be in attendance at the upcoming Bend Chamber Election Mixer on Oct. 25 at the Deschutes Brewery Tap Room in downtown Bend.
