Designs on a two-tiered train could land a select group of Ringling College of Art and Design students with the opportunity to design tomorrow’s theme park attractions. A team of students from different disciplines is in California this week competing in the Walt Disney Imaginations Design Competition, where six finalist teams will present to Disney Imagineering executives, who will judge projects and interview competitors for internships with the company. “This was definitely always a childhood dream of mine,” said Elizabeth Fox, Business of Art and Design major, “but I never knew how to make it happen.”

The competition has been held annually by Disney Imagineering now for 24 years. In recent iterations, teams undertake a specific design challenge, this year the creation of major city transportation that employed theme park and resort concepts and philosophies. The Ringling team’s project proposed an elevated train with two tiers—a top one for commuters and then one underneath that catered to tourists—to run around New Orleans. A variation off a monorail like those used at Disney parks, the bottom train gets the frills, with digital overlays that put images of historic New Orleans atop the modern scenery outside. In addition to Fox, the Ringling team includes Computer Animation major John McDonald and Illustration majors Diana Han and Josh Newton. “Normally at Ringling, people with three different majors would never come together on a project, but because of this, we got to meet great people and work with people who do not usually work with the same skill set,” said McDonald.

Soledad Boyle, Disney Imagineering intern program manager, said the proposals submitted for the competition won’t ever be built in real life, but are meant to see what ideas individuals conceive in a sky’s-the-limit set of parameters. For Disney Imagineering, the true goal is to find the strengths prospective employees may bring to projects already in the works for Disney theme parks or resorts. Presentations to judges kicked off Monday, and final winners will be announced in a ceremony on Friday, but in terms of job prospects, being named finalist teams is an important step because it puts the students in California for interviews with executives. 

All Faiths Food Bank welcomed six new members to its 2015 Board of Directors, including Barbara Brizdle, Judy Cahn, Jack Higgins, Arnold Hoffman, Susan Jones and Midge Stulberg, who will serve on the board for three-year terms. Led by President John Nicholas, they join 11 others who currently make up the Food Bank’s Board of Directors: Bill Willson, Edie Chaifetz, Steven Kourelakos, Rex Burgher, Rich Cautero, Scott Levine, Mac Martin, Paul Mattison, Keith Monda, Jeff Reynolds and Tom Ryan. 

All Faiths Food Bank

Carol Hirschburg has joined The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School as executive director, announced Ariel Serrano, president and artistic director. Hirschburg was general coordinator and development director of Sarasota International Ballet Festival from 2010 to 2013. Prior to her appointment as executive director of The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, she worked as a grant-writing consultant. An avid ballet fan, she served as vice-president of the Sarasota Ballet Association (now Friends of the Sarasota Ballet) from 2009 to 2010. Prior to moving to Sarasota in 2007, she was a successful public relations, marketing and fund-raising consultant in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School

In one week, Carrabba’s Italian Grill will open a new restaurant location on South Tamiami Trail in Venice. The new location will open its doors at 11am on Monday with a charity event to benefit the Venice YMCA. The new restaurant features a design that mixes traditional and contemporary elements inspired by the look and feel of Italy. The 6,300-square-foot location features an open kitchen, a relaxed and casual dining room with family tables, a modern Italian bar and patio dining. 

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Neal Communities since the beginning of 2014 has added 60 new employees in response to company growth.Overall, the Neal team sold a company record 864 new homes in 2014, earning $276 million in revenue and opening nine new communities from Manatee County to Collier. The company hired 52 new employees in 2014, with eight more jobs filled in the first two weeks of 2015. Those numbers represent a greater than 20 percent increase in the company’s workforce. Additionally, Neal is currently interviewing candidates for four more positions in its southern division, with six more scheduled to open up later this year. 

Neal Communities