Stephen D. Bloom

Chief Executive Officer,                       Portland Japanese Garden

Steve Bloom has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Portland Japanese Garden since 2005. Early in his tenure, Bloom led the Garden in the formation of a comprehensive six-year strategic plan that has been transformational in its scope and impact on the Garden. Under Bloom’s leadership, the Garden has successfully developed a comprehensive master site plan, created a curatorial department, expanded and improved programming in culture, art, and education, formed an International Advisory Board, increased national and international visibility and recognition, implemented a fund development program, and seen strong organizational growth and increased financial stability. Bloom was a 2008-09 Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow in Japan, sponsored by Hitachi, and concurrently served as Visiting Scholar at Tokyo University of Agriculture. Following his fellowship in Japan, Bloom led an effort to create the North American Japanese Garden Initiative and Association (NAJGA), now in its early stages. He is currently serving as the Founding President of the NAJGA.

Prior to working at the Garden, Bloom served as President of the Honolulu Symphony (2000-2005) and showed early success at the age of 27 when he served as Executive Director of the Tacoma Symphony (1996-2000). He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1991 from the State University of New York’s Crane School of Music, and in 2003 was a recipient of a Social Innovation Fellowship to attend the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Education program on non-profit management. He currently serves on the Board of the Japan America Society of Oregon, and the Portland-Sapporo Sister City Association, and has served on the Board of Regents of Chaminade University in Honolulu, as the President of the Washington State Arts Alliance, and as the Chair of the Washington Park Alliance. In 2004, Bloom was a recipient of the Pacific Business News “Forty Under 40” award, recognizing young business leadership, and he received a commendation from Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle for community service. Other professional positions have included employment with the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Sacramento Symphony.