OUR FOUR 2023 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS!

EVAN'S BIO:  Evan is one of a proud few who can claim to have been born and raised in the city of Austin, Texas. He first gained national attention at age 11 by finishing second in Austin’s famed O. Henry Pun Off. He now calls Manhattan home, and has received top billing at the Chicago Humanities Festival, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the British American Drama Academy, whether acting Shakespeare or charming audiences with the turn of a Cole Porter phrase, Evan is first and foremost a storyteller with a sincere love and appreciation for history, travel and the art of raconteurship. The past few years have found him busy at work as the host and creator of Vanishing Postcards, which represents a synthesis of these passions, and was hailed as “one of the best podcasts of 2022” by Digital Trends. 

EVAN'S PRESENTATION:  In the fall of 2021, Evan grabbed a microphone and took two months to drive Route 66 from Oklahoma to Santa Monica. Along the way, he logged 6,845 miles on his odometer and spoke with over 100 people for his documentary podcast Vanishing Postcards. In this presentation, Evan combines personal reflections with select footage he gathered from a few people who live and work along The Mother Road today to explore why Route 66 remains deserving of its title, “Main Street of America,” and how sharing its full story is essential for its future endurance. 

JIM'S BIO:  Jim, from Kingman, Arizona, is familiar to Route 66 fans as the creator of Jim Hinckley’s America travel network, author, speaker, historian, and tourism development consultant. He has twenty-two published books and countless articles in publications ranging from American Road to True West. His Route 66 presentations include history, culture, renaissance, heritage tourism, and economic development in the United States and Europe. Less well known is his instigation of the Miles of Possibility conferences at which he has been a presenter on various topics.

JIM'S PRESENTATION:  This is a tale of epic adventure, innovation, eccentricity and inspiration. It is the story of men who traveled the Oregon Trail by ox cart, and toured the country in an automobile. It is a tale of daring women like Effie Hotchkiss, Florence Lawrence and Emily Post. It is a colorful story about adventurers, high speed drama, and visionaries. And it is the story of a nation transformed by the automobile.

T. LINDSAY'S BIO:  Native Texan T. Lindsay has written two dozen academic books on the American West, among them Portrait of Route 66: Images from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives and Eating Up Route 66: Foodways on America's Mother Road. He lived just south of former U.S. Highway 66 in Amarillo for a decade, and he has driven the full length of the Mother Road multiple times, including both directions in an unmodified four-cylinder 1930 Ford. Currently, T. Lindsay is undertaking research for a combined history and heritage tourists' driving guide to former U.S. 66 across the Texas Panhandle.

T. LINDSAY'S PRESENTATION:  Roadside or in-car meals shaped cross-country travelers’ experiences.  Some enjoyed fresh seafood shipped on ice to inland locations like Amarillo.  Others nursed every nickel to buy fuel, eating the cheapest staples from roadside grocery stores. Many encountered new foods along the way, liked what they sampled, and introduced these specialties to new areas. Members of the larger society in many places reserved dining spaces only for those who they thought looked or acted like themselves, complicating travel for many. Because eating is a universal human need, sustenance opens a window into understanding the travel experiences of all. 

MARIAN'S BIO:  Marian, from Bratislava, Slovakia, has spent 23 years working in prominent Slovak media at both local and multinational publishing houses. He started his career as a journalist; his expertise includes print and digital publishing, online marketing, and PR communication. Since 2017, he has been fully committed to the Route 66 Navigation and Route 66 Passport projects, overseeing their development, marketing, and communication efforts. Marian is an avid biker and traveler who enjoys good food and beer.

MARIAN'S PRESENTATION:  The pandemic brought lasting changes to the world, affecting various aspects of life.  How has Route 66 changed?  Our Route 66 Navigation app data, websites, and Historic Route 66, the largest Route 66 Facebook group, will offer interesting insights.  Additionally, we’ll look into new technologies for tourists on Route 66 in 2023, promising a thrilling future.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-miles-of-possibility-route-66-conference-tickets-488807033997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

CORY'S BIO:  Cory is the President and CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau where he works to promote domestic and international visitor travel. The region is where two of the nation’s great roadways come together (Route 66 and the Great River Road) along the confluence of America’s three great rivers (Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois). Cory has a wealth of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, spanning more than twenty years in various roles in Illinois state government, including as the former Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism.

CORY'S PRESENTATION:  Learn more about product development and historic preservation efforts from Virden to the Chain of Rocks Bridge along the Last 100 Miles of Route 66 in Illinois.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-miles-of-possibility-route-66-conference-tickets-488807033997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

SCOTT'S BIO:  Scott has served as Director of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau since August 2018. Prior to leading the SCVB, he was Regional Director of Membership for the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association for sixteen years. Scott is looking forward to hosting Miles of Possibility in Springfield in 2026 for the Route 66 Centennial.

SCOTT'S PRESENTATION:  Starting in Chicago and winding 2,449 miles through eight states to the west coast, Route 66 is arguably the most famous road in the world.  The Mother Road celebrates its 100th birthday in 2026.  Join us for a look at what Springfield, IL, is doing to prepare for the centennial and host the Miles of Possibility Conference in 2026.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-miles-of-possibility-route-66-conference-tickets-488807033997?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

BOB'S BIO:  Bob is the President and CEO of the Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau, home of the First Hundred Miles of Route 66, the charming I&M Canal towns, and the magnificent Starved Rock Country.  In the last two fiscal years, he received grants of $1.5M and $1.6M, respectively, for attraction development, including electrifying the route, and state-wide marketing and promotion initiatives.  These initiatives will grow the state’s tourism numbers in the communities along Route 66. 

BOB'S PRESENTATION:  Bob provides an update on the state-wide marketing initiatives and product development along The First Hundred Miles.

JOE'S BIO:  Joe is a retired pastor from Macon, Georgia, who served congregations around the U.S. He has settled in Bloomington-Normal, does extensive volunteer work in the community, and enjoys annual bike tours with friends. An online journal and photos of his Route 66 tour are available at .

JOE'S PRESENTATION: Joe's travelogue focuses on photos of historic Route 66 sites and his cycling experiences during a Route 66 bicycle tour with a lifelong friend from Chicago to Santa Monica when he was 66 years old. .

ROCHELLE'S BIO:  Rochelle has served as the Assistant Archivist for the McLean County Museum of History since 2018. Prior to that she worked as a volunteer at the museum for six years. She is a graduate of Illinois State University and the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Her special interests are arts and culture, civil rights and social action, and education.

ROCHELLE'S PRESENTATION (With JEFF WOODARD):  German immigrants opened breweries in Bloomington that thrived from 1859 until Prohibition shut them down. More than 100 years later, breweries have become a big draw for tourism in Bloomington-Normal and other Route 66 towns.

CHERYL'S BIO:  Cheryl is the author of six books for Arcadia Publishing in addition to hundreds of articles (mostly about Route 66) in publications ranging from the Illinois regional newspaper the Prairie Land Buzz to feature stories in the national travel and Americana magazine ROUTE. Her seventh book examines the legacy of women's work on the historic Mother Road and tentatively will be published in 2024. She is also a playwright and award-winning short fiction writer and holds a graduate degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In 2015, she established the annual Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference.

CHERYL'S PRESENTATION:  Beginning about 1909, a few women from the Eastern states motored west across the U.S. Although these journeys were pre-Route 66, some roughly followed the path that Route 66 would take. From 1926 on, some traveled U.S. Highway 66 while others crossed the country on other routes. The reasons behind their trips were varied. Alice Ramsey just enjoyed driving (and was sponsored), while Nell Richardson and Alice Burke in an automobile and the Van Buren sisters on motorcycles toured to promote women's rights. In the 1930s, Darlene Dorgan and her Gypsy Coeds dreamed of adventure. They all found adventure – and some found fame – in an era when most women didn't dare to motor alone.

SPENCER'S BIO:  Spencer grew up in Lexington, served as police chief, and is now mayor and tourism ambassador for the community.

SPENCER'S PRESENTATION:  Spencer will talk about his efforts to preserve Route 66 attractions while bringing in new tourism and economic development opportunities to the city.

BILL'S BIO:  Bill has served as librarian for the not-for-profit McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, IL, for the past twenty years. Bill has graduate degrees from the University of Illinois Springfield and Illinois State University.

BILL'S PRESENTATION:  “The Henney Kilowatt: Bloomington's Battery-powered ‘Car of Tomorrow’” 

In 1959 and 1960—long before the ongoing revolution in electric automobile design, manufacturing, and sales—Bloomington-Normal was home to a prototype electric car called the Henney Kilowatt. A project of National Union Electric Co., a conglomerate whose holdings included Bloomington-based Eureka-Williams Co., the Henney Kilowatt's electric propulsion system was designed by Eureka-Williams engineers, and the cars were assembled in Bloomington. Bill’s program will showcase many fascinating photos, promotional materials, correspondence, and engineering documents.

GREG'S BIO:  Greg is the Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean County Museum of History. He served that museum from 1977 to 2016. He led the 1989 project to convert the Old McLean County Courthouse into a museum, which won the American Association of State and Local History’s highest award in 1992. He later led another successful capital campaign for renewal of museum operations, which included the Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center. His published works include articles on the material culture of American buildings; articles on the Irish American history; and on museum and community relations. Greg’s most recent book is Freedom, Land and Community: A History of McLean County Illinois 1730-1900. In 2023 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society.

GREG'S PRESENTATION:  An illustrated lecture on how the road system developed in McLean County, from Native American pathways to Route 66 to the interstate.

MIKE'S BIO:  Mike is the retired governmental affairs director from the Great Plains Laborers District Council and for 40 years editor of the Grand Prairie Union News. Originally from St. Louis, he immersed himself in Illinois and Midwestern history. He is involved in multiple local civic efforts and serves on the boards of the McLean County Museum of History, Historic Pullman Foundation, and the Illinois Labor History Society.

MIKE'S PRESENTATION:  From Chicago to Santa Monica, Route 66 originally followed existing railroads. From Chicago to St Louis the Chicago & Alton Railroad (now the Union Pacific/Amtrak line) was an early passenger train innovator; From St Louis into Oklahoma the Frisco won renown and from Oklahoma westward the fabled Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe hosted its fabled streamlined "Chiefs" that sped to the coast in streamlined luxury. This presentation will briefly look at the early development of these lines and the competitive passenger service they fielded, with a brief look at what rolls by track side along 66 today.

RON'S BIO:  Ron Romero is the Board of Directors Chairman and Founder of "Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66" museum and organization, is owner of Stage Right Productions since 2000.  Stage Right Productions is a live event production company that provides sound and lighting for small concerts and corporate events.  Ron is an entrepreneur and previously owned a computer technology company, an internet provider company, and has been a real estate investor.  Ron sits on the Joliet Junior College Music Technology Board Committee as an advisor.  He is a member of the Illinois Association of Museums and American Alliance of Museums and is still a performing musician.

DEBYJO'S BIO:  Debyjo is Director of Operations & Tours at Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66, House Manager at Rialto Square Theatre, and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.

RON & DEBYJO'S PRESENTATION:  Ron and Debyjo will share all the exciting news and updates from the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.

TERRI'S BIO:  Terri has a doctorate in history and wrote her dissertation about Route 66. She is a writer, a playwright, an actor, and a stand-up comic. She is a member of the Miles of Possibility committee that plans the annual conference.

TERRI'S PRESENTATION: Hear the story of Terri’s efforts to restore a deteriorating 1930s two-story Tudor Revival style gas station on Route 66 in Normal. She had no money but taught herself to write grants and began restoration.  In 2016 she sold the building to the Town of Normal. She lives in the building and has opened Ryburn Place Gifts and Gab, a visitor center/gift shop. That’s not the end of the story, though. Terri can’t seem to leave alone derelict, old Cities Service stations and is restoring another Route 66 icon! 

JEFF'S BIO:  Jeff has served as the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the McLean County Museum of History for eighteen years. Prior to that he worked as a volunteer in the research library for the museum. Jeff worked to develop a strategic marketing plan for the Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, which opened on the Museum Square in Downtown Bloomington in 2015. Jeff has served on the Bloomington-Normal Route 66 committee and currently serves on the board of directors for the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway in Springfield, Illinois.

JEFF'S PRESENTATION (With ROCHELLE GRIDLEY): German immigrants opened breweries in Bloomington that thrived from 1859 until Prohibition shut them down. More than 100 years later, breweries have become a big draw for tourism in Bloomington-Normal and other Route 66 towns.