Bend Downtown Leadership Shake-Up | Bend News

Bend News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 9, 2026 · 1m

Downtown Bend’s business leader Rachel O’Rourke is stepping down after just six months on the job, amid swirling controversy over paid parking and a chaotic board election. Her departure follows resignations from other board members and a public backlash against the parking plan — which still has over 1,500 petition signatures against it. O’Rourke will stay through the transition, calling it a personal and professional decision to pursue new opportunities. The association is now redoing the board election to rebuild trust and clarify its future direction — as city leaders and downtown…