Visit Bend has announced the hiring of Zavier Borja, who joins the Visit Bend team as the organization’s new role of Destination Stewardship director, beginning January 2, 2025.
The Destination Stewardship Director will oversee Visit Bend’s grant programs, the Bend Sustainability Fund and the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund, in addition to other Visit Bend stewardship partnerships like the one with Leave No Trace. The grant programs reinvest room tax revenue, generated by visitors, back into our community to enhance the quality of life for all who love Bend and the surrounding areas.
The two programs have long been a staple of Visit Bend’s emphasis on managing the economic advantages of visitation against the maintenance of local culture and pristine natural settings, in addition to promotion of programming that takes place during the shoulder seasons. This role will help the organization address that focus so that the future of the tourism economy can be kept in balance with the natural resources that depend on it and so that promotion and programming can happen during less busy times.
Borja, born in Redmond and raised in Madras, comes to Visit Bend from the Oregon Governor’s Office as the Regional Solutions Coordinator, where he advances cross-sector partnerships to address complex regional challenges in Central and South Central Oregon, connecting state, local, Tribal, and business leaders.
“Zavier Borja joining Visit Bend as Destination Stewardship Director highlights our organizational commitment to further leveraging the Visitor Economy to help elevate the quality of life for our community,” said Jeff Knapp, Visit Bend’s CEO. “Zavi’s community-focused service over the years, including the City of Bend, Bend Parks, and Recreation, numerous non-profits, or most recently, his time working for the Governor’s office, will further solidify Visit Bend’s balanced approach to people, place, and economy.”
Borja is also the founder of Vámonos Outside, which champions outdoor opportunities and access for Latino and BIPOC communities in the Central Oregon Region. He has also held the role of Community Relations Manager at the City of Bend, where he developed and managed communication, policies and engagement strategies to increase access to city services with underrepresented communities.
He is the Board President of the Latino Community Association and serves on boards and committees such as the Heart of Oregon Corps, Gray Family Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, and the Roundhouse Foundation. Additionally, he has served as an elected Board Member for the Bend Park & Recreation District.
“As someone born in Central Oregon and living in Bend for the last 13 years, I’m honored to join Visit Bend as the Destination Stewardship Director, where I’ll have the opportunity to champion sustainability, foster community engagement, and help shape the future of responsible tourism in Bend and beyond,” said Borja. “I look forward to collaborating with the incredible team and community members to preserve and enhance what makes Bend so special.”
Zavier holds a degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from George Fox University and an Outdoor Industry Leadership Certificate from Oregon State-Cascades University. His expertise lies in connecting people, organizations, and ideas that drive inclusive and innovative growth, environmental stewardship, and meaningful change
The Bend Sustainability grant program is currently open for applications through January 12, 2025. Applicants will be notified of awards in March 2025.
About Visit Bend:
Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the visitor experience while stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon. We’re a leading information provider on Bend hotels, restaurants, activities, and Oregon vacation planning.
About The Bend Sustainability Fund:
The Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend Project, reinvests short-term lodging tax revenue paid by visitors into tourism-related facilities that create and steward sustainable experiences within Bend’s community.
The fund was created in 2021 with the aim of supporting the Bend community as a vibrant place to live and visit for generations to come. Since its inception, the Bend Sustainability Fund has awarded $3 million to 25 projects.
About The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund:
The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program dedicated to enhancing the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs, with an emphasis on activities that help attract cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months.
Since its inception in 2014, the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund has awarded $2.3 million to 115 projects.
Visit Bend is funded by a portion of the transient room tax generated by visitors through short-term lodging stays within Bend’s city limits, distributed by the City of Bend. A portion of this restricted tax funds the Bend Sustainability Fund and the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund.
