2026-27 Board Member Candidates
Please review the candidates below for the Oregon Bluegrass Association 2026-2027 Board of Directors.
There are five (5) Board seats up for election. Please choose up to five candidates from the list below by May 23, 2026.
Note: You must be an OBA Member for your vote to count
Kerry Callahan
Portland, ORFamily physician, retired 2018 Bluegrass jammer, banjo, since 2001 OBA member since 2011 OBA Board member, Treasurer/Development since 2021
Why do you want to serve on the OBA Board? Playing bluegrass music with others and being a member of the bluegrass community has been an important creative outlet and social interaction for me for decades. Serving on the OBA Board of Directors has been an honor and a source of pride to support the mission of our organization.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected? To help the organization thrive by promoting activities that engage the organization’s members statewide and ensuring financial stability.
Pat Connell, Sr.
Portland, OregonMusician, supporting OBA band member. Have enthusiastically supported the OBA for almost two decades and have served on the OBA board since 2011.
Why do you want to serve on the OBA Board? I believe in the goals of the OBA to promote and support the bluegrass music and culture in Oregon . I have served the OBA in whatever role and fashion that I could, from generating advertising and donation revenues to supporting and implementing shows and events. Attended and participated in countless shows, festivals, events, to promote the OBA.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected? Have fun and continue in our efforts to support youth education and a truly vibrant, state - wide organization.
Joel Cofield
Portland, OregonJoel is a very active member of the Oregon bluegrass community. Professionally, he is also a member of executive leadership for a 501(c)(3) company in the clean energy space. Since moving to Portland in 2021 he has played a role in nearly every public Portland-area jam. He leads by example, bringing both a spirit of professionalism and musical joy to the local jams and community.
Joel can be found at just about every Oregon bluegrass festival, jamming with any and everyone that loves bluegrass or old time. As a country boy from Georgia raised by a grandmother, Joel's passion lies in rural-roots music and community, now especially Oregon bluegrass. Joel's passion and experience can be seen by those with whom he has established strong ties here. He has been in Fern Hill since 2023, with his local heroes and mentors Rollie Champe and Mike Eisler. He also spent a year with Fog Holler, a local up and coming bluegrass group. Touring with Fog Holler, Joel interfaced with and coached bluegrass-lovers all over Oregon.
One of Joel's passions is creating jam spaces that are inclusive, thoughtful, and musical. One of Joel's first community projects in Portland was partnering with a business to create a monthly jam. The jam quickly gathered a following of both musicians and attendees. In 2026, the jam has been drawing an audience outdoors in the throws of winter. One regular attendee at that jam approached Joel to say “Thank you for being a beacon of light” on a cold and difficult day. He will bring his enthusiasm and light to the OBA.
Why do you want to serve on the OBA Board?
I care deeply about the Oregon bluegrass community and the role it can play in bringing people together. There are three things I’d hope to bring to the OBA:
Per the OBA’s missions, fostering the joy and performance of bluegrass-style music. I have dedicated a significant amount of my life to understanding bluegrass style, jamming, and customs. Others here in Oregon and the west coast share in this joy. I’d like to see even more!
Building welcoming jam spaces. I love creating environments where people feel comfortable jumping in, whether they’re brand new or lifelong players. I’ve helped start a monthly jam that’s grown into a real community, even getting folks pumped attend outside in the middle of winter.
Strengthening community connections. Through playing with groups like Fern Hill and touring with Fog Holler, I’ve had the chance to connect with bluegrass lovers all over Oregon. I enjoy being someone who brings people together across different parts of the scene.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected?
Reengage with the deep tradition of bluegrass here in Oregon and help the OBA to be the meeting place for the vast community of enthusiasts, listeners, and musicians across the state.
Ron Preston
Sandy, Oregon & Albion, IdahoI've been in the construction, manufacturing, insurance & tree farming industries for 50 + years. I have experience being a secretary in 3 organizations. I'm currently secretary for the OBA, and Multnomah Grange #71. I like to play and collect guitars, meet, jam & visit with people wherever I go.
Why do you want to serve on the OBA Board? I enjoy the people, and to help with record keeping and answer any questions regarding the OBA history.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected? Promote BG music wherever I go. To help the other Board members achieve their goals.
Brandon Nelson
Ashland, OregonWhy do you want to serve on the OBA Board?
I would love to serve on the OBA board to see the musical tradition be passed on. I am interested in seeing a network of venues and fans that will promote the genre across the state for local and traveling artists. I would like to continue to create access for all ages and demographics to learn the music. I would like to help build on the success of the Candey Memorial Songwriting Scholarship and look to create other opportunities like this for youth access to instruments or lessons.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected?
My first priority would be to become familiar with the current system, then see where promoting live music can be bolstered across the state. As stated above I would like to help build more access to lessons and instruments to youth.
I’m a bluegrass fan and player. I have been supporting and participating in the local jam scene. Helping promote an inclusive environment for all skill levels and genre adjacent players. I am primarily a dobro player and dabble in guitar, mandolin and songwriting. I attend many festivals in the region. I taught dobro workshops at Tygh Valley Bluegrass Jamboree in 2023 and 2024. I work as an RN in my local community helping to support many people of diverse backgrounds. I had served on the Southern Oregon Adult Hockey Association board for 4 years from 2010-2014 working to make the sport accessible to all and more enjoyable for the established community.
Rachael Bonnett
Newberg, OregonI love music and I love community. I've been playing music since age 8, double majored in music performance and photography in college. I took a break for a few years, trying to figure out where my musical home was and eventually found that in the bluegrass community. I am a passionate community advocate and worked for 7 years for a social justice non-profit, switching this past October to working for an arts non-profit which seems to fit me like a glove. I am the Performing Arts Manager at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, OR. I am also the co-founder of Newgrass Brews and Bluegrass Festival, alongside Christian DeBenedetti of Wolves and People Farmhouse Brewery. The brewery's Thursday night bluegrass jams are a glue keeping Yamhill County's bluegrass scene alive and we mutually decided to take that to the next level and create our own bluegrass festival too. We've done that, sold out two years in a row, and are on to planning year three. I feel so proud to be part of bringing this joyful gathering to our community.
Why do you want to serve on the OBA Board?
I am passionate about bringing the bluegrass community together, supporting our hard-working artists and creating more opportunities to perform and enjoy this unique art form. I believe there is so much growth yet to happen for bluegrass in Oregon and I'm excited to bring fresh energy and ideas to the table.
What are your top priorities or goals for the OBA if elected?
I'd like to represent the thriving bluegrass scene in Yamhill County. I'd also like to help creatively brainstorm ways to bring Oregon's various rural bluegrass communities together, to shed light on the amazingness that often hides away in the shadows of porches and backyards. I'm passionate about creating accessible musical education opportunities for all demographics and "home places". I excel at bringing people together to celebrate common joys.....and this is what bluegrass music is all about!