Current Board Members

My name is Maurizio Fino. I have owned a MINI since 2007. My first MINI was an Astro Black R56. I eventually traded it in for a 2009 R56 S with the sports package, it is heavily modified and almost complete. I “rescued” another 2009 R56 S with an engine issue, it has also been modified prior to me owning it. I have a special plan for that car once I get it back to running conditions. My daily is currently a 2009 R56 S JCW.

I have volunteered with my Club and later became President. As I became heavily involved with the MINI Community and interested in the MINI Lifestyle, I have been trying to figure out how to develop a National organization among us to bring more to the community and lifestyle. I was recently presented an opportunity of a lifetime with assistance to make that happen. I am now the first President of the MINI Motoring Club of America aka MMCA.

I look forward to applying my leadership, automotive knowledge, Club experiences and technical skills to this organization the best I possibly can. Bringing the best Member and Club experience one can hope for and beyond. With this National team, I am ready to see great ideas and plans we have come to life for more people to experience such a truly amazing community, lifestyle, and car.

Norman Nelson is an avid Mini enthusiast, having bought his first Mini in 2005, and now owns eight. Since then he has been active in the Mini community as local club founder, organizer, and had attended Mini events across the USA, Canada & Europe. MTTS 2006, 2014, 2016, 2018 MINI United 2009, 2012. MINI Thunder, Magical Mystery Mini Tour SF 2008, Mini Meet West 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. MOTD 2011

My name is Andrew Russell and I am the Treasurer of the Mini Motoring Club of America. I am a retired engineer with a B.S in Aerospace Engineering and a M.S in Mechanical Engineering. I bought my first Mini in 1972. A shiny new AUTHI 1275GT purchased while in the U.S. Navy stationed in Rota, Spain. I spent three years driving it all over Spain and Europe and regret not being able to bring it home to this day. My second MINI is a 2004 R53 ordered from the factory, delivered Valentine's Day, 2004. It has 168,000 miles and is still going strong. I currently also have two 1973 Minis, an Innocenti 1300 and an Australian Moke. I have been an active member of Southern California Mini Maniacs and San Diego Minis since 2004. I have attended four IMMs in Europe, 2008 in Lelystaad, Holland, 2009 (50th anniversary of the MINI) in Longbridge, IMM 2017 in Westport, Ireland, and the 2019 IMM in Bristol. Also "Mokin' Jervis Bay" in Australia in 1918. I attended many of the early AMVIVs, and numerous Mini Meet Wests. I helped organize Mini Meet West 2016 in San Diego as well as the Southwest Mini Fest in San Diego in 2018

My name is Harry Gerwien. As a photographer I served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, on my retirement in 1990, I freelanced in the Washington D.C area. 1993 went to work as a staff photographer for Military Newspapers of Virginia I worked  for them for 23-years.

As a photojournalist, I have covered a wide range of stories, such as submarine operations in the Arctic, space shuttle landings, National Guard peace keepers ion Bosnia.  Traveled to Iraq to do stories about local Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard units that were participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

My work has been published nationally and internationally. I have had covers and cover stories in the New York Times  Sunday Magazine, and covers on US News & World report. Other photos have appeared in the pages of Time, Newsweek, Esquire, and the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times and Washington Post.

I am the author of the book Serendipity, A chronicle of a Navy Photojournalist.

The above was a nutshell of my life before MINI! Like many my first exposure to the Mini/MINI Cooper world was the movies The Italian Job. The introduction of the New MINI really caught my interest.  At the age of 59,May 2007 purchases a 2006 Cooper and was hooked.
I had never belonged to a car club in my life, I thought they were a bunch of nerds.  The MINI community soon proved my assumptions wrong and I was a member of Seven Cities MINI and Hampton Roads MiNI.
June 2007 participated in the Guinness. World Record of MINI’s in a Parade. Two-years-later, as president of Seven Cities helped organize and saw over the second Guinness World .Record event.  We had MINIS and Mini’s from 18 states and from Ontario Canada participate.  By the way the 2007 event we broke the record and held it for a couple years.

I became a MINI enthusiast, eventually convincing my wife Katie to sell her Toyota and purchase a MINI. We love and have participated. In many local events and MINIS on The Dragon, MINIS on the Mack and I have participated in seven MINIS takes the States and getting ready for next months event

My photography has carried over to my MINI life with photos published in MC2 and local car publications.

At the purchase of my first MINI, my motoring advisor, Mike Arneson, shook my hand and said, "Now that you own a MINI your life will change"!  At the time I thought he was crazy. Over the past 16-years my life has changed.  I have a  national family of MINI/Mini owners 

When, and it is very often, I’m asked do I love my MINI? I always respond the MINI is a "Mechanical Fountain of Youth"

My name is Rob Louden and I'm Regional Vice President of the MINI MOTORING CLUB of AMERICA, President of ROCCityMINI in Rochester, New York, Don of the MINI MAFIA, one of the founders of Whine Country Coopers and also a founder and Chief Organizer of MINIs at The GLEN, an event held each year in Watkins Glen, New York at Watkins Glen International Raceway. MINIs at The GLEN has drawn over 350 cars and between 800-900 people from all over the North East and beyond. It's an awesome event with laps on the track, a big party, an after party and rallies to fun destinations the next day for those who are staying on until Monday.

We are so very fortunate here in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State to have a world-class racing venue like Watkins Glen International right here in our own backyard. The Finger Lakes Region is beautiful and there are many attractions here that everyone can enjoy. There are Lakes, waterfalls and watersports. There are wineries and breweries, meaderies and cideries all throughout the area. There's lots of sights to see and things to do here. I know the area well and my family has been coming to Keuka Lake, where I live since 1919. I've been on the MINI Club Scene for 12+ years and I have to say that I'm very fortunate to have such a great bunch of members who are just willing to drop everything and get in their cars and go for a spin with me. I'll be seeing many of you at MTTS 2022 and I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones while I'm there.  I own a Pepper White 06 R53, Handsome Rob...with almost 225 K miles on it that I've have ever since new. I also have an 18 Light White and Black F60 S All4, Paulie Walnuts. Both are 6 Speeds