Changes in The Richmond Forum Staff

We're happy to welcome a new face to The Richmond Forum team!

Debbie Mangolas has joined The Forum as Office & Ticket Sales Manager. In that role she will be the primary contact for subscription sales and renewals, as well as single ticket sales prior to each program.

This responsibility was previously handled by Heidi Thompson, who became a new mom in June. Heidi has now returned to The Forum in a part-time role as our Community Outreach & Marketing Manager, and we're glad to have her back!

As we speak, Debbie and Heidi are working side by side to get our season tickets ready to mail to subscribers this Thursday, October 1st. Watch for them in your mailbox starting on Friday or Saturday!

Big Programs, Small World

The week after Labor Day things always seem to start to really kick into gear around The Forum offices as we anticipate the upcoming season. We start to put together the ticket mailing (scheduled to go out on October 1st), the phones start ringing again as subscribers and sponsors return from vacations and everyone's kids go back to school, and the finer details of the November program begin to be finalized, this year an "Out of This World Evening" featuring astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on Saturday, November 14.

Last week was exciting for us as we heard from Richmonders whose time is currently being spent far from home, but who are planning months in advance to try to attend this season's Richmond Forum programs.

Two were teachers currently on assignment at the International School of Belgrade in Serbia, one of whom is teaching Greg Mortenson's book Three Cups of Tea to her students. We also heard from a soldier currently deployed in Afghanistan who contacted us last week to see how he could get tickets to The Richmond Forum when he returns home in the spring. We are so thrilled that people who are traveling extensively throughout the world are finding that The Richmond Forum still offers them an opportunity to hear speakers that they couldn't hear anywhere else, and that through the use of technology we can so quickly and efficiently communicate and connect with each other. How small the world we share has become!

We'll be sharing more details on stories like these throughout the season. We look forward to enjoying the programs with everyone this year. We have a lot planned for you, and we are so glad you will be joining us!