Jerry W. Cole has been named the Sturgis Rally & Events Director. Mr. Cole was selected after an extensive recruitment and selection process that received interest from many highly qualified and experienced applicants with local, regional, national and even international experience. Mr. Cole’s professional career encompasses both municipal and not-for-profit organizations with an emphasis on events planning and promotion, tourism marketing, parks and recreation management, and sponsorship solicitation.
Mr. Cole is currently the Executive Director for the Dickinson (ND) Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, he served almost two years as the Executive Director of the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce. In that capacity, he oversaw the Chamber’s various tourism events, including the Hill City Wine, Brew & BBQ, Logging Show and Art Extravaganza. Mr. Cole was also the first Director of the Parks & Recreation Department with the City of Rapid City, serving from 2004 to 2012. During that time, he was the founding Event Director for the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival with attendees coming from 17 states and 5 different countries. Mr. Cole is a graduate of Chadron State College.
Mr. Cole shared, “I am so excited that the City has placed their trust in me and that I will be part of a leadership team that not only expertly executes the world’s largest motorcycle rally but is successfully growing new events like the Sturgis Supermoto and the Sturgis Gran Fondo. I look forward to seeing how I can help continue these successes.”
City Manager Ainslie expressed thanks to the City Council members, the City staff, the Downtown BID Board, SMRi and the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Bureau for their assistance in the selection process. Mr. Cole is anticipated to start as Rally and Events Director on December 28th.
If suits and ties over-organize this event, they will “execute” it…just sayin’
Hope he will understand bikers.
Working for the rally will benefit Sturgis, but working for the city of Sturgis doesn’t necessarily benefit the rally…Just saying.
Remember when Sturgis was just a bunch of bikers getting together and having a good time? Now Sturgis needs an event director!
I think it’s time to move on!
In response to Boots , Bret and Sharkey I say … Amen ! Though I might add its already been co-opted , corporatized , commercialized , sanitized and marginalized to the point of no longer being an ‘ event ‘ … but rather an annual market place masquerading as a Rally or biker gathering . Which is to say it has been ‘ Suit’ed and ‘ executed’ for years … and its been time for the rest of y’all to move on for quite awhile now
Don’t forget their are many “suit & tie” guys
with their spouses that populate Sturgis every year !!
Most go every year as they have the “wherewithall” to do so….
Does that mean they don’t have Biker soul / attitude ???
Maybe not of Pappy Hoel or the original outlaws 1% of days gone by
But maybe that’s a good thing !!!!
People aren’t scared to come to Sturgis anymore because of the antics of a few.
Women ride there, alone & unmolested.
People of color ride there & people ride all kinds of cycles there without the hassles of the past. (Having your Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki/ Yamaha [crotch rocket] burned right in front of your eyes)
It has become the symbol / rally for the masses….
Yes, it is over commercialized, yes it is over populated & yes, it is over priced
Sturgis has become big business & I don;t see it backtracking anytime soon
Hell, I work everyday & make a decent living, but, I know I can’t afford to go every year
or every other year, for that matter, but I will get there again, someday….
If it has become “too much” for some, there are LOTS of smaller rallies / runs
that maintain that “old school” flavor that are not so, for lack of a better term,
not so “crowded” or commercialized
I guess they couldn’t afford to hire Julie McCoy from the Love Boat.
Well said Blackmax
Spot on BlackMax.
Folks who want Sturgis to go back to where it was 30-40 years ago can just pick a different week and set up their own rally. All the vendors will be elsewhere and so will most of the riders. It will be just like the good old days-sharing the area with station wagons full of kids, businesses that don’t care if there’s a rally or not, and LEOs arresting anyone who acts like an extra from the Wild One. Folks starting the new rally will probably want to hire a good Rally & Events Director, of course, these things don’t run themselves 😉
new helmet sticker “STURGIS: It ain’t gonna run its self”
Thank You, BlkBkr & Cailf Phil