In order to best serve our community we need to ensure equitable access to our trails and green spaces that we all know and love. As a Latino, while I try not to speak on behalf of a whole community, having lived experiences and working within this community, I believe that I have a deep understanding. We have a fantastic opportunity to reshape the narrative of what it means to be outside and enjoy these spaces. Everyone should know where these trails and parks are in order to enjoy them. Ensuring they believe that these spaces are for them. My lens as Latino and who does work primarily to help serve underrepresented groups, allows me to bring new expertise and perspective to the Parks and Rec table.

I want to ensure the Bend Parks as a whole are continuing to partner at a high-level with other nonprofits and organizations as well as other intergovernmental partnerships/collaborations. I’m a firm believer in not reinventing the wheel. If there is someone out there who is an expert or is already doing the work, we should partner with them. Then we can focus on ways in which we can leverage our strength to better our community.

We all know Bend is growing at increasingly rapid rates. We must thoughtfully consider the existing communities we are impacting and the new folks we are welcoming. To grow sustainably means we lead with actionable items that set up our communities for success, like maintaining and updating our current facilities. Doing so allows us and our communities to benefit when optimal growth opportunities come around, such as the Big Sky expansion.

Identifying as a Latino, I feel that visual representation is vital when we are having the conversation of equity, especially when it comes to positions of “power” and in this case an elected seat. Seeing someone who looks like you, in itself can allow for breaking down barriers. As well as being able to open the door for further insights into specifically the Latinx community. Also, being someone who is younger than what has been traditionally been seen in these seats, allows for the potential of more involvement in a multitude of positive ways.