Envisioning the Next Century of Route 66

Bill Thomas

Chairman, Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership | Commissioner, U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission

Bill Thomas first traveled Route 66 in 1963, when his family drove from Illinois to Disneyland. More than 50 years later, that road became a central part of his professional life.

Bill is Chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, the national nonprofit working to advance preservation, promotion, research and education, and economic development along Route 66. As Economic Development Director for Logan County, Illinois, he works directly with communities seeking to leverage Route 66 to strengthen local economies.

With degrees in history from Eureka College and the University of Chicago, Bill has worked in education, higher education, technology, and economic development. In 2022, he was appointed to the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission. He lives with his wife, Chris, in Atlanta, Illinois, where he also serves as Curator of the American Giants Museum.

Kaisa Barthuli

Director (retired), VIP (Volunteer in the Parks) Program Liaison
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, National Park Service

Kaisa Barthuli has worked in cultural resource management with the National Park Service for 35 years. She joined its Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program in 2002 and served as Program Director from 2009–2025, managing grants and technical assistance to help individuals, nonprofits, communities, and government agencies preserve and revitalize the places and stories of historic Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica.

Now retired, she continues as a Volunteer-in-Parks liaison to the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, an ex-officio board member of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, and Chair of the Historic Roads Subcommittee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Scientific Committee on Cultural Routes.

Rhys Martin

Manager, Preserve Route 66 Initiative, National Trust for Historic Preservation
President, Oklahoma Route 66 Association

Rhys Martin first discovered Route 66 as a photographer and became an advocate after attending a bridge preservation event in 2015. Since then, his work has focused on preserving the road's past while helping shape its future.

Rhys has served as President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association since 2019 and represents the Association with several Route 66 organizations and initiatives. He is Manager of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preserve Route 66 Initiative, working nationally to preserve the historic places and stories of the Mother Road.

Amy Webb

Former Senior Director of Preservation Programs and Preserve Route 66 Initiative Lead, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Amy Webb is a historic preservation and heritage tourism specialist with decades of experience at the national, regional, state, and local levels. She joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1993 and directed its heritage tourism program until 2011.

Beginning in 2018, Amy expanded the National Trust's engagement with Route 66, initially advocating for National Historic Trail designation and later developing the Preserve Route 66 initiative, providing grants, technical assistance, and digital storytelling. She retired from the National Trust in 2025.

Amy holds a master's degree in architectural history and historic preservation from the University of Virginia and lives in Boulder, Colorado.