Bend Park & Recreation District board member Dallas Brown announced Tuesday he is leaving the board to embark on an extended trip through Central and South America.
Brown, 28, was elected to the board in May 2011. He had previously fallen short in a 2008 bid for Bend City Council, and mounted a run in the 2010 Democratic primary for the Deschutes County Commission before dropping out of the race.
Reached Thursday, Brown said he’d been thinking about taking a long trip for quite some time.
“It’s just something I always wanted to do," he said. “Learn Spanish, backpack and explore the world, and now’s the time to do it."
Brown said he tried to find a way he could remain on the board while traveling, but concluded it would not be possible as he expects to be out of the country for several months.
“It’s been a real honor for me to serve on the board and I think they’re heading in a great direction," he said.
The board will discuss its options for filling the vacancy created by Brown’s resignation at its Feb. 5 meeting. Anyone appointed to Brown’s seat must run for re-election in May in order to serve the remainder of Brown’s four-year term.
