Keynote

Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state. As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest. Rhys’s travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Tulsa People Magazine, This Land Press, ROUTE Magazine, Forum Journal, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He also wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city’s past. Rhys works for the National Trust for Historic Preservation as their Preserve Route 66 manager. He has served as the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association since 2019 and sits on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road and its Centennial. For his work along Route 66, he was named Tulsa People’s 2026 Tulsan of the Year and inducted into the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences

Kate Lenzer, GISP, is the Senior GIS Manager in the Research & Impact Division at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Kate manages the GIS program at the National Trust and provides a unique approach to historic preservation through geospatial data, data-driven storytelling, and map-based tools. Prior to joining the National Trust, Kate worked extensively as a GIS consultant in land and water conservation and climate resilience, providing GIS analysis and cartography for local, national, and international organizations. She continues to volunteer with small nonprofit organizations to develop map tools and geospatial workflows. Kate earned a B.A. from Ohio University and a M.S. in Geography from the University of New Mexico.

Madie Gereighty is a historic preservation professional specializing in the use of GIS to document, analyze, and interpret cultural and historic resources. She currently serves as a Route 66 Project Assistant with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, supporting geospatial research, digital documentation, and public engagement initiatives along Route 66. Her experience also includes work with the National Park Service, the Center for Community Design and Preservation, and municipal planning. Madie holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a master’s degree in Historic Preservation and is passionate about using technology to support preservation practice, research, and storytelling.

Allison Lehn is a GIS Analyst at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where she creates geospatial tools and writes place-based stories to support programs like the Preserve Route 66 initiative. She has a degree in Applied Data Science from Minerva University, where she created a portfolio of ethically-engaged digital humanities projects for her capstone project.