Hello:

I am the founder and President / CEO of the U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association, a Not-for-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) "Public Charity". The Association is dedicated to the Cultural Preservation and Economic Development of inner cities, small towns and rural communities located along all 3,652 miles of the Grand Old Highway. We are all volunteers, either retired or keeping our day jobs. www.route6tour.com Our projects are serious, and our activities are educational, fun and family oriented.

The Association started as a Senior High School Student Project back in October 2000. Three students who were taking a Computer Science course were required to build a one page web site. They asked their teacher if they were to come up with a good subject, could they work together as a team. The teacher said Okay! They were neighbors and one day they ask me for an idea. That is when I told them about the historic highway.

I told the students that I was born and raised in Pasadena, California with grandparents living in Nebraska and Iowa. Before the Interstate Highway System started in 1956, U.S. Route 6 was the main east-west highway across the nation. As a result, many communities were by-passed by the new Interstate Highway System. Soon thereafter, hundreds of communities no-longer existed and others are struggling to survive. Thus, I suggested that they create a web site that would send them some business.

Eventually they took over my home office and studio. They even came and worked on their web site in the evenings and on the weekends. They were networking all the communities from coast-to-coast. After they completed their class project they continued to work on the web site.

I believe mentoring is the most rewarding part of what I was doing. Next they wanted to save all their work. This is when I suggested they create a Corporation. I told them they needed a good Mission Statement and bylaws as their parents would become Board members. Finally, they needed to record Articles of Corporation with the Washington Secretary of State. This they did. You have to remember these were 16 and 17 years old.

By this time they definitely new the subject.

NEXT STEP:

Since I was providing and now paying for all the equipment, domain, server costs, etc. the questions was; how do we pay for all this? That's when I decided the three girls should create a Not-for-profit. Now we are talking about sponsorship's, donations, members, grants, etc. money to support the development of the Association. Except, take it to the next level and become a "Public Charity", a humanitarian organization. This was definitely a challenge, however, it was eventually approved by the IRS before the end of the school year.

By now the three girls (young ladies) had one-on-one dialogues going with member communities. Many of the communities wanted to host the students. Have them participate in local parades, talk before chambers of commerce and tourism organizations. (They are now 17 and 18 years old.) They spent most of the summer flying around the country. (My daughter became their chaperone.) Once they got to their destination they would stay at the home of the Mayor, City Council person, or County Commissioner.

They were even invited to have lunch with Mike Johanns, the Governor of the State of Nebraska.

Remember, that was 18 years ago and a lot has happened since. The creation of state divisions of the National Association, a Senior High School and College Student Internship Program, and our Audio-visual division know as Route 6 Productions.

So, what was my background before this all started? I had my own land use development business, worked as the Planning Administrator for city, county and state agencies. I was also the past Executive Director of the HUD Fed. Gov. District 10 Regional Planning Commission. Basic duties involved administration, grant writing, environmental and economic development projects, etc.

NOTE: I'm seeking part-time and/or project consulting work.

Any questions?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards. Russ L.

Russell J. Lombard 1657 SW Old Clifton Rd. Port Orchard, WA 98367