Longtime BPRD Executive Director Don Horton announces he’ll retire in Sept. 2024

(Update: Adding video, comments from Horton, BPRD board member, Brooks Resources CEO)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Park & Recreation District's longtime Executive Director Don Horton has told the board and staff that he plans to retire at the end of September 2024, ending more than two decades at its helm.

"I always wanted to get to a mountain state and have a chance to raise my kids around the mountains," Horton explained to us when describing why he moved to Bend.

Horton has been executive director of BPRD since 2003 and has overseen the district's growth in the fast-growing community, along with being responsible for designating many of the district's parks over the past two decades.

"We we're living in Texas at the time," Horton said, "and I had my eye open for anything between Colorado and the West Coast. So I was real fortunate Bend became open, I applied for it and had the opportunity to get the job."

Board members and constituents are quick to point out Horton's contributions, including helping parks like Compass and Discovery come to fruition.

Deb Schoen, a current board member for BPRD, said, "We've had 50 parks built in the 20 years that he's been here, and our recreation offerings have more than doubled."

Brooks Resources President and CEO Kirk Schueler said, "Don always was looking out for the interest of the public, and the public spaces and the parks. That was his job, so we respected him for that. He's always been that representative of the park district."

Horton cites the transformations of Riverbend, Farewell Bend and Drake parks as some of his and the district's biggest accomplishments during his tenure.

"We have the Larkspur Community Center, The Pavilion," Schoen added. "The Whitewater Park, the expansion at Juniper, Riley Ranch Nature Preserve. All of those have been done under Don's leadership."

The BPRD leader says rapid growth, along with access (or a lack of it) to certain programs are the biggest challenges currently facing the district.

"Making sure everybody in the community has access to the parks and recreation programs that we offer has been a challenge, and I think it'll continue to be a challenge into the future" Horton said. "I think we have a really good program put in place, where we have an opportunity to reach those populations and make sure they're aware of our programs and get them here, to be able to participate."

A replacement for Horton hasn't been named. The district plans to wait until next year to choose and announce a successor.

Horton said, "We know we do have at least one candidate internally that we think would be a good replacement, but that'll be the board's decision, to decide how the district will move going forward. So they have plenty of time to do that, so they can take their time and do it right."

With Alpenglow Park opening last year, the total number of parks in the district is now at 84, including 75 miles of trails. The district maintains more than 3,000 acres of land in the city.