Road Ahead Partnership - Annual Board Meeting Summary
Amy Webb CO (Rep. National Trust for Historic Preservation), Melissa Lea Beasley NM (BOD / President - NM Rt66 Assn.), Dries Bessels Holland (Chairman International Advisory Group / Dutch Representative - Rt66 Assn. of Netherlands), Rhys Martin (BOD / President - OK Rt66 Assn.), Sharon Foster (BOD / CA Historic Rt66 Assn), Renee Charles KS (BOD / President - KS Historic Rt66 Assn.), Ruth Keenoy (Rep. for MO Rt66 Assn. sitting in for Tommy Pike).
Middle Row (L-R):
John Conoboy NM (Chairman - National Historic Trail Task Force), Kaisa Barthuli NM (Program Manager – NPS Rt66 Corridor Preservation Program), Sharlene Fouser AZ (BOD / AZ Rt66 Scenic Byway Program), Bill Thomas IL (Chairman of the Board / Director - Economic Development, Logan Co, IL).
Back Row:
Steve Mandrgoc NM (Admin., Rt66 Oral History Office, Univ. of NM), John Cannella NM (Rep. for National Park Service, sitting in for Aaron Mahr), Dean Kennedy IN (Road Ahead Roadies & Stakeholders), Gary Daggett TX (BOD / TX Rt66 Assn.), Bill Kelly IL (BOD, Treasurer, Chair - Promotion Work Group / Ex Director - IL Rt66 Scenic Byway), David Bricker CA (BOD, Vice Chairman of Board, Chair - Preservation Work Group / Deputy District Director - CA DOT).
Here is a full report on the 2019 Road Ahead Partnership Annual Board Meeting:
The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership held its third Annual Board ofDirectors Meeting February 22-23, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Highlightsof the meeting included an update on efforts to designate Route 66 a NationalHistoric Trail, the 2019 budget, a new partnership policy, reports from workinggroups and task forces, and the election of the 2019 Board Officers.
John Conoboy, Chairman of the Road Ahead’s National Historic TrailTask Force, and Amy Webb, representative from the National Trust for HistoricPreservation reported that much progress was made in 2018 and hopes were highthat HR801, the Federal legislation to designate Route 66 a National HistoricTrail, would be passed last year. The government shutdown in mid-December,however, resulted in the legislation not moving forward. The bill has beenreintroduced in the new Congress, with a goal of having it passed by Congressand signed by the President before the end of 2019.
The Board approved a budget for the 2019 fiscal year. In addition toapproving basic administrative costs, the Board discussed and approved fundingfor several expenses related to achieving specific strategic goals established bythe Road Ahead including:
EconomicDevelopment Working Group - $5,000 was approved to developcase studies illustrating successful efforts by communities across Route 66 toleverage Route 66 for economic development purposes. Funding of up to $10,000was also approved to conduct additional research in conjunction with work doneby Rutgers University to update its 2012 Route 66 Economic Impact Study.
Route66 State Associations Advocacy Working Group – $6,000 was allocatedto improve the Road Ahead’s ability to inform and educate Route 66 stakeholdersand Roadies regarding what the organization is and what it is doing. Communicationefforts will focus on the dissemination of press releases, Facebook posts, emailblasts, news articles, etc. through communication channels used by state-basedRoute 66 Associations, including their newsletters, magazines, websites,Facebook pages, etc.
GreenBook Task Force [GBTF] – $1,000 was allocated to coverpotential research and/or travel costs for the GBTF as it initiates its work toaddress needs/challenges associated with Route 66-based Green Book sites.
PreservationWorking Group – The Board approved up to $2,000 to cover potential travel costs forits newly appointed Historic Resources Specialist [HRS] Anne Haaker, retireddeputy State Historic Preservation Officer from Illinois. Herfocus will be the development, coordination, and implementation of the RoadAhead’s review of federal, state and local construction projects that mayaffect Route 66 historic resources, in accordance with Section 106 of theNational Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
PromotionWorking Group - $9,900 was approved by the Board to address one of the mostfrequently reported challenges faced by Route 66 travelers, i.e. navigating theRoute. This funding is being used to design and develop a Route 66 navigationapp in conjunction with the Arts Technology Program at Illinois StateUniversity.
VintageMotel Task Force [VMTF] – Up to $5,000 was allocated tounderwrite the work of the VMTF, including costs associated with providingbenefits to owner/operators who sign up to become members of “The Route 66Motel Collection” being created by the VMTF.
InternationalAdvisory Group –$1,000 in funding was approved to support implementation of anonline survey designed to identify challenges, needs, and wants ofinternational visitors traveling Route 66. The survey was piloted last summerat the European Route 66 Festival.
ExecutiveCommittee – The Board approved setting aside $14,500 into a reserve fund. The reservewill be called upon as needed, pending the organization’s ability to raiseadditional public and/or corporate sponsorship funding.
The Board adopted Policy 2019-01 that deals with establishingpartnerships between the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and othernot-for-profit organizations. Looking ahead, the Board will also draft a policyfor establishing potential partnerships with for-profit entities. Chairman BillThomas will work with Board member Dr. David Dunaway, to draft the proposedpolicy.
Throughout the meeting, the Chairs of the Road Ahead’s several WorkingGroups, Task Forces, and Advisory Groups, presented updates to the Board. Thosereports are presented in the minutes of the Annual Board Meeting and – onceposted – can be read online in the Resources section of the Road Ahead’swebsite (www.route66roadahead.com).
Research 66 representativesMariaFelchlin, Sean Evans,and Audra Bellmore presented options to formalize a working relationship betweenthe Road Ahead and Research 66. The Road Ahead Board endorsed the idea anddirected Chairman Thomas to draft a Memorandum of Understanding to bring to theBoard for discussion/action. Research 66 is a group of 10 archival institutions alongRoute 66, that focus on making research materials accessible to the generalpublic and Route 66 stakeholders for the purpose of education, preservation,and management of the historic Route 66 corridor.
The Board also passed two resolutions of appreciation and welcomedthree new members. Dora Meroney, who had served as the representative fromTexas, and Brad Nickson, representative from Oklahoma, were recognized fortheir service as they ended their time on the Board. Each had served on theBoard since the founding of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership in 2015. SharonFoster, representative from California, Gary Dagget, representative from Texas,and Rhys Martin, representative from Oklahoma, were introduced and welcomed asnew Board members.
Board members enjoyed the opportunity to become better acquainted duringtheir time in Albuquerque, as they dined together and participated in a fieldtrip of vintage motels and neon along Central Avenue [Route 66]. The field tripwas led by Ed Boles, an historic preservation architect, who is also a memberof the Road Ahead’s Vintage Motel Task Force.
Officers of the Board for 2019 were elected: Bill Thomas, Chairman[Illinois], David Bricker, Vice Chairman [California], Renee Charles, Secretary[Kansas], and Bill Kelly, Treasurer [Illinois]. Officer terms are for one year.
When completed, minutes of the 2019 Annual Board Meeting, a copy ofthe Treasurer’s Report, and the approved 2019 Budget will be posted on the Route66 Road Ahead Partnership’s website, accessible at: www.route66roadahead.com.
Members of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership Board of Directors inattendance at the Annual Meeting included:
- David Bricker – Chair of the Preservation Working Group
- Melissa Beasley – New Mexico Route 66 Association
- Renee Charles – Kansas Historic Route 66 Association/ Route 66Association of Kansas
- Gary Dagget – Texas Old Route 66 Association
- Sharlene Fouser – Arizona Route. 66 Scenic Byway Program
- Bill Kelly – Chair of the Promotion Working Group
- Ruth Keenoy [sitting in for Tommy Pike] – Route 66 Association ofMissouri
- Steve Mandrgoc – Interim Chair of the Research & Education WorkingGroup
- Rhys Martin – Oklahoma Route 66 Association
- Bill Thomas – Chairman of Board, Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership
Also attending and/or presenting at the Annual Board of Directors Meetingwere:
- John Conoboy – Chairman of the National Historic Trails Task Force
- Aaron Mahr – National Park Service
- John Cannella – National Park Service
- Kaisa Barthuli – National Park Service
- Amy Grant – National Trust for Historic Places
- Debbie Pogue – Vintage Motel Task Force
Board Members/Advisory Group Representatives not able to attend theAnnual Meeting include:
- John Miller – Illinois Route 66 Association
- Jeff Fulgenzi – ChairmanEconomic Development Working Group
- David Dunaway – Chairman Research & Education WorkGroup
- Emerson R. Vallo – Chairman Tribal Advisory Group
At the conclusion of the Annual Board of Directors Meeting, members ofthe Board hosted the Second Annual Route 66 Stakeholders Reception and UpdateEvent, to which any and all members of the public interested in Route 66 wereinvited. Approximately 25 stakeholders attended and engaged Road Ahead Boardmembers in a discussion of their interests and questions. The Board ofDirectors looks forward to holding the Third Annual Stakeholders Reception and Updatemeeting following its 2020 Annual Board of Directors Meeting. The location ofthat meeting will be determined and announced at a later date.
Established in 2015, with the support of the NationalPark Service and the World Monuments' Fund, The Route 66 Road AheadPartnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national andinternational icon through partnerships focused on promotion, preservation,research and education, and economic development.
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For more information about the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, contact:
Bill Thomas, Chairman Rt. 66 Road Ahead Partnership rt66theroadahead@gmail.com 217-648-5077