The Route 66: The Road Ahead partnership has pledged to periodically send updates about the group’s activities.
Here is the latest news release, lightly edited, below the fold:
The Route 66: The Road Ahead board of directors held its first meeting Feb. 16-18 in Albuquerque. Minutes of the meeting will be available to the public shortly. In the meantime, a few highlights of the meeting include:
— Officers of the board were elected: Bill Thomas, chairman [Illinois], David Bricker, vice chairman [California], Renee Charles, secretary [Kansas], Bill Kelly, treasurer [Illinois]. There terms are for one year.
— The board formally reaffirmed The Road Ahead’s mission, outcomes and organizational structure previously developed by the Steering Committee per input it had received via a series of Route 66 Collaboration Workshop meetings attended by approximately 400 Route 66 stakeholders in June 2015.
— Finalized and adopted bylaws for The Road Ahead, which will be made available to the public soon.
Determined that Annual Meetings of the Board will be open to the public.
— Heard update reports from each of The Road Ahead’s five Working Groups that are tasked with meeting the goals needed to achieve the organization’s desired outcomes.
— Heard an update report from John Conoboy, chairman of the Road Ahead’s National Historic Trail Task Force, and welcomed Amy Webb and Grant Stevens, representatives from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who were on hand to discuss opportunities for the Road Ahead and the Trust to work together to ensure Route 66 is designated a National Historic Trail.
— Discussed strategic opportunities presented by the introduction in Congress of HB66, a bill that would establish a national Rt. 66 100th Anniversary Commission.
— Heard an update report from Emerson Vallo, Chairman of the Road Ahead’s Tribal Advisory Group [TAG], who discussed the purpose of the TAG and ways it and the Road Ahead could collaborate.
Board members and several of their spouses, along with representatives from the National Park Service also enjoyed opportunities to become better acquainted with each other, as well as more informed regarding Route 66 resources in Albuquerque. They enjoyed a tour of the Rt. 66 exhibit at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Southwest Research, followed by dinner at the iconic Frontier Restaurant located on Route 66. The Board and its guests also took advantage of a private tour of the Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, then dined together at the Center’s Pueblo Harvest Café.
When completed, minutes of the Board’s meeting and the organization’s bylaws will be posted on the Rt. 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s website accessible at: sites.google.com/site/66roadahead
Member of the Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership board of directors include:
- David Bricker – chair of the Preservation Working Group
- Melissa Lea Beasley – New Mexico Route 66 Association
- Renee Charles – Kansas Historic Route 66 Association/Rt. 66 Association of Kansas
- Larry Clonts – Texas Old Route 66 Association
- David Dunaway – chair of the Research & Education Working Group
- Sharlene Fouser – Arizona Rt. 66 Scenic Byway Program
- Jeff Fulgenzi – chair of the Economic Development Working Group
- Bill Kelly – chair of the Promotion Working Group
- John Miller – Illinois Route 66 Association
- Brad Nickson – Oklahoma Route 66 Association
- Tommy Pike – Route 66 Association of Missouri
- Scott Piotrowski – California Historic Route 66 Association
- Bill Thomas – chairman of the Steering Committee