The Alumni Relations Office has launched a new blog designed to address all things relating to RISD by Design, RISD’s alumni reunion and parent weekend, on October 10–12. Parent and alumni guest bloggers will share their experiences at past weekends, and answer questions about the upcoming one, while other alumni celebrating reunions can connect with fellow RISDoids planning to return to campus this fall. Parents can get the inside skinny on how to prioritize and organize their visit, so be sure to join in the conversation rolling at rbd.risd.edu!

Other things you can do at the RISD By Design blogsite: view the daily schedule of events with last minute additions, link to lodging information, and print out registration information to send by mail, as well as register online ( beginning August 13).

Pat Thornton of RISD’s Parents Relations Program sent in this tale of one student’s path to RISD.

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Every now and then one wonders how a student decides to come to RISD. For Jamie Goldstein ‘11 PT the journey from Los Angeles to RISD involves Cranston and a RISD|Continuing Education connection that goes back to the 1950s.

Parents’ Council Co-Chair Erica Di Bona and her husband, Vincent Di Bona, Executive Producer and creator of America’s Funniest Home Videos and 2007 recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, are very happy with Jamie’s decision to attend RISD, even though it meant she attended school across the country. At the end of Jamie’s freshman year, she enthusiastically told her parents how much she had benefited from having the best teachers in her life, and that she had definitely made the right decision to come to RISD.

Jamie, her father Josh Goldstein, Erica and Vin reside in Los Angeles; the Cranston-RISD connection came through Vin. When Vin grew up in Cranston, RI, in the late 1950s, he took Continuing Education art classes at RISD with his best friend Alfred DeCredico ’66 PT. Vin went on to study film and radio at Emerson and UCLA, and eventually became a television producer. Alfred is a well-known painter and RISD professor. When Jamie knew she wanted to pursue an education in the arts, Vin, Alfred and David Schoffmann ’78 PT, Jamie’s mentor at Brentwood Art Center, pointed her to RISD.

After Jamie completed the Pre-College program her mind was made up. Jamie is now entering the sophomore year as a Painting major and her parents are on the RISD Parents’ Council, with Erica serving as one of the Co-chairs.

From Cranston to L.A. to Providence - many roads connect to RISD!

Erica Gerard Di Bona and Brian Lefler have recently been appointed co-chairs of the Parents’ Council, starting in July, 2008. Both are parents of students who have just completed their Foundation Studies year and both have been on the Council for the past year.

Through the Parents’ Council, the co-chairs hope to encourage other parents to support RISD with their time, professional experience, connections in the world of art and design and through financial contributions.

Erica, a television producer who lives in Los Angeles, recognizes the particular challenges parents living on the West Coast (and other distant places) face in being closely involved from a geographic distance. She plans to take a role that will connect her to the school in meaningful ways despite living in LA, 3,000 miles away. By serving as co-chair of the Parents’ Council she hopes to help form a large network of parents around the US and the world.

Brian is a vice president in the corporate office of Fifth Third Securities in East Lansing, MI, where he supervises the development and financing of public, commercial and nonprofit projects. Translating his understanding of investment to the RISD landscape, he sees an opportunity for expanding the participation of RISD parents in supporting RISD. He hopes to increase awareness of the college among parents and would like to encourage support and ideas for increasing representation in Annual Giving.

Lefler sees that his son Lucas Lefler ‘11 AR has found his niche. Lucas tells Brian again and again that he is so glad to be at a school that’s putting him ahead of his peers in terms of education and training.

Di Bona’s daughter Jamie Goldstein ‘11 PT has had a similar response to studying at RISD. Erica is thrilled that Jamie is in “exactly the right place.” In her first year at RISD, Jamie reported that she had three of the best teachers in her life.

If you have any questions about the Parents’ Council, please contact Pat Thornton: pthornto*AT*risd.edu