{"id":9382,"date":"2026-01-19T14:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T19:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/?p=9382"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:13:58","slug":"introducing-our-2026-national-rally-chairs-bob-and-bonnie-cohen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/introducing-our-2026-national-rally-chairs-bob-and-bonnie-cohen\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing our 2026 National Rally Chairs\u2014Bob and Bonnie Cohen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9382\" class=\"elementor elementor-9382\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-351211b0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"351211b0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bfe1008 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bfe1008\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"558\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1024x714.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9383 lazyload\" alt=\"\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1024x714.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1536x1071.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"558\" src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1024x714.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-9383 lazyload\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1024x714.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web-1536x1071.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Bob-and-Bonnie_web.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Bonnie and Bob Cohen, 2026 BMW MOA National Rally Co-Chairs<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a5a672b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2a5a672b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>Plans for the 2026 BMW MOA National Rally in Essex Junction, Vermont, are gathering momentum, and the event\u2019s co-chairs, Bob and Bonnie Cohen, say they\u2019re eager to welcome members back to New England. It will be the first New England National Rally in about two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>The Cohens come to the role from Downeast Maine, a place they describe with equal parts pride and geography. Living in Washington County near the Canadian border, they joke that \u201cdown east\u201d is \u201cdefined differently by everyone you ask,\u201d but for them it\u2019s home base for a quiet, tide-paced life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><iframe class=\"lazyload\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Embed Player\" data-src=\"https:\/\/play.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39790240\/height\/192\/theme\/modern\/size\/large\/thumbnail\/yes\/custom-color\/445ca4\/time-start\/00:00:00\/hide-playlist\/yes\/download\/yes\/font-color\/FFFFFF\" width=\"100%\" height=\"192\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>As rally chairs, they bring a well-matched blend of organizer energy and hands-on craft. Bob is a retired veterinarian and lifelong rider who has been on two wheels for more than five decades. After stepping away from his veterinary career two years ago, he and Bonnie built a separate workshop devoted to motorcycle repair and restoration.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cI spend as much time as I can in my garage,\u201d Bob said, noting that he has six motorcycles and has recently leaned into restoration work, including a frame-up project on a 1986 R 80.<\/p>\n\n<p>Bonnie\u2019s workshop is a different kind of engine room. A former teacher, educational leader and human resources professional, she\u2019s now happily deep into woodworking. Her projects range from charcuterie boards to deck furniture, and lately she\u2019s taken up turning, which is working with a lathe to turn circular things like bowls or plates. She laughs, saying she\u2019s the real tool enthusiast in the household, with Bob chiming in that she has \u201cfar more tools and knows what to do with them\u201d than he does in her domain.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Their day-to-day rhythm reflects the same calm competence they\u2019re bringing to rally prep. Bonnie, an avid hiker, plans her retirement schedule around the tides, and spends part of every day on local trails with Trudy, the family dog. The couple live on a dirt road in a small coastal town where, as Bob put it, \u201cThe nearest town that\u2019s big enough to have a traffic light is 35 miles away,\u201d making the setting both serene and a perfect launchpad for rides.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>That love of open roads extends well beyond Maine. The Cohens spend much of their vacation time exploring Canada\u2014especially the Maritimes and Newfoundland\u2014often encouraging fellow riders to pack a passport (or passport card) for easy cross-border detours from Vermont. Together they also maintain strong ties to the MOA community in New England, riding with several chartered clubs and looking forward to a rally turnout that includes plenty of Canadian neighbors.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>While Bob has been an MOA member since 2004, he only began attending national rallies after retiring in 2021\u2014then promptly dove in headfirst. His first rally was Springfield in 2021, followed by Richmond, Redmond (via an 8,000-mile camping and trailer journey across Canada with Bonnie and Trudy), and Lebanon.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been accused of having volunteer addiction syndrome,\u201d he said with a grin, describing how retirement quickly turned into Regional Coordinator work, a seat on the BMW MOA Foundation Board and now co-chairing the national event. Bonnie, meanwhile, is frank that her connection to the MOA comes less from riding and more from people. She\u2019s ridden some with Bob, but doesn\u2019t much enjoy it; instead, \u201cThe hook for me was the people,\u201d she said, praising the local club community and the friendships that grow around the rally culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>For 2026, the Cohens say their focus is on a welcoming, well-run gathering that reflects both Vermont\u2019s charm and the MOA\u2019s volunteer spirit. \u201cSafety first,\u201d Bob emphasized, reflecting on a career spent managing complex, people-centered work\u2014experience he sees as directly transferable to rally logistics.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>They\u2019re also highlighting the Rally\u2019s Karol Patzer Children\u2019s Charity, which will benefit Head Start programs in the Essex Junction area. Bonnie said, \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to selling as many raffle tickets as humanly possible,\u201d calling it a cause with a direct local impact for families and kids in the host community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>With major committees already in place, volunteer sign-ups are expected to open around January 1, and the Cohens are encouraging members to consider taking a shift. \u201cWe certainly invite all the MOA folks planning on coming to jump in and pick up a shift,\u201d Bob said. \u201cIt\u2019s always fun and enjoyable to meet other folks aside from just attending.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Registration for the 2026 BMW MOA National Rally is currently underway. Members with questions or ideas can contact the co-chairs directly at rallychairs@bmwmoa.org, and the Cohens say they can\u2019t wait to see the community roll into Vermont next June!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plans for the 2026 BMW MOA National Rally in Essex Junction, Vermont, are gathering momentum, and the event\u2019s co-chairs, Bob and Bonnie Cohen, say they\u2019re eager to welcome members back to New England. It will be the first New England National Rally in about two decades. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":9384,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-findyourcrossroads"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}