ROAD SCHOLAR REMEMBERS CO-FOUNDER DAVID BIANCO, VISIONARY AND LIFELONG LEARNING PIONEER

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Not-for-profit Road Scholar is saddened to announce that its co-founder, David Bianco, has passed away. David co-founded Road Scholar with Marty Knowlton 40 years ago and revolutionized the world's view of older Americans and older Americans' view of themselves.

Mr. Bianco's contribution to Road Scholar and to society is immeasurable, and his deep and heartfelt support of the organization continued throughout his life. In addition to a rich professional life, he dedicated himself to causes and not-for-profit organizations in which he believed. Some years after founding Road Scholar, he joined co-founder Mr. Knowlton to manage a new organization dedicated to creating learning adventures for Road Scholar in California and Nevada.
 
Upon retirement in 2005, he served on the boards of many not-for-profit organizations, including the Rotary Club of Ventura, the EP Foster Library Fund, and the Ventura College Foundation. He was a past chair of the Ventura College Foundation Board, and served the college in various leadership roles. He personally funded multiple endowed scholarships to assist Ventura College students for many years to come, and Mr. Bianco was a proud Navy veteran, who led efforts to support returning veteran students at Ventura College.
 
"David was a featured speaker at our 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2015 where he charmed participants and staff with stories from the early days of our founding as Elderhostel and of a life well-lived," said president and CEO James Moses. "He will be remembered as a loyal and passionate, ironic, creative, funny, articulate and brilliant man, and will be missed by all of us who knew and loved him. His legacy continues to impact all of society and each of us who carry on the mission he and Marty created."
 
Memorials are planned for Mr. Bianco in Boston and California to celebrate his life and the impact he had on the world, his family, friends and colleagues.
 
About Road Scholar
Road Scholar is the nation's largest educational travel organization for adults. The not-for-profit offers 5,500 extraordinary educational adventures in 150 countries and 50 states for individuals dedicated to lifelong learning. Road Scholars are immersed in a variety of experiential learning activities, enlisting world-renowned faculty and local experts who offer insider access not available to most individuals. Dedicated to making educational travel available to everyone, Road Scholar offers financial assistance for those who otherwise could not participate in its programs.
 
Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975. To learn more, please visit our website at www.roadscholar.org/press.

CONTACT: Stacie Fasola (617) 457-5418
         Despina Gakopoulos (617) 457-5502
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