Born and raised in the metropolitan Boston area, Ron is a longtime fan of melodic and hard rock. He got his first taste for music when asked by manager Joanne Codi to sing minor backup vocals on The Dream’s debut EP and Extreme’s S/T album in the early 80’s featuring Gary Cherone, Paul Mangone, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger and Paul Geary. While in college, he fronted a number of projects including bands The Calm and Visare as well as writing and recording with college friends and band mates Scott Moser and Paul MacEachern.
Politics became Ron’s passion as he entered graduate school and not long after, chopped off his long hair and traded it in for a tie in pursuit of a career in public service. Vining went on to run the nation’s fourth largest transit system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Prior to this, he worked for The White House on the Presidential Commission for National and Community Service charged with designing the AmeriCorps Program.
In addition to his public service, Vining served in mid to senior level management and marketing positions at the retail property management company S.R. Weiner & Associates and the solid waste transport leader Allied Waste Industries (formerly Vining Disposal Service). In 2004, he assisted in the launch of Action Waste Services and in that same year became Vice President, Strategy & Communication for The BioDefense Corporation and strategically positioned the innovative homeland security company for a 2006 product launch and initial public offering.
Ron has worked for well over a decade as an Adjunct Professor of Management, Marketing and Communication & Journalism at Suffolk University and most recently joined the faculty at UMass Boston and Emerson College instructing similar subject matter at the graduate level.
In 2000, Ron founded and still directs the daily activities of VM : Vining Management, an Internet-based, strategic management, media and communications practice serving political, corporate and entertainment clients. The company expanded its political consulting services in 2006 by teaming up with the national firm Tuesday Associates where Vining also holds the title of Senior Vice President. Their efforts have elected individuals to Town Halls, State Capitals and even The White House.
Vining dipped his feet in the musical waters in 2001, working with Electronic Artists as a member of the street team to release Journey’s Arrival CD. Then, as a longtime fan of the legendary, hard rock band MASS (Louie St. August, Gene D’Itria, Mike Palumbo, Joey “Vee” Vadala) it was a dream come true when Ron became friends with lead singer Louis D’Augusta and started managing the group in 2003. His efforts helped to revitalize the veteran rockers and saw the release of the new single Empty Soul (produced by Stryper’s Michael Sweet) featured on the Melodicrock.com Volume 2: The Beast Inside CD. This led to the re-release of 1985’s New Birth (Retrospect Records) on CD for the very first time and the release of all new material featured on 2007’s Crack of Dawn (Escape Music).
Ron went on to manage the highly successful band Mars Hill (Jack Marques, Chip, Ruben DeMello, Chris Sutherland, Mike Aguiar) in early 2004, who had recently released Sink Or Swim in 2003 (produced by Stryper’s Michael Sweet). This was followed-up by Prelude (produced by Jack Marques) in 2004. They disbanded in 2006 to separately explore new musical avenues.
In 2005, he was given the opportunity to assist super group Soul SirkUS via acclaimed entertainment publicist Amanda Cagan with media placement for the eastern part of their tour in support of the debut World Play release. The highlight of this effort was the chance to hang out with legends Neal Schon, Jeff Scott Soto, Marco Mendoza and Virgil Donati.
While working with Mars Hill, guitarist Chip often spoke of The Action Project (Chip, Jack Marques, Ruben DeMello, Chris Sutherland, Chris Longo, Mark Duane) and shared demos that he had recorded with Marques to Vining. In late 2006, he reached out to Ron about getting the project off the ground. In early 2007, his efforts got Action signed to a world-wide deal on Frontiers Records.
The Action Project has brought music back full circle to Ron’s life and he intends to use this release as the catalyst for expanding his client work in the entertainment sector. VM : Vining Management is now working with Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie, Talisman, motion picture Rock Star), who is just coming off the road as Journey’s lead singer from the sold out double bill tour with Def Leppard, on scheduling and promoting dates for the upcoming JSS Band solo tour.
Look for future announcements about upcoming projects in 2008 between VM and artists such as Fabrizio Grossi (Starbreaker, Steve Vai), John Macaluso (TNT, Starbreaker, Allen / Lande, Yngwie), Tony Mills (TNT, Shy), Eric Rango (Takara, China Blue), Josh Ramos (The Storm, Hardline, Two Fires, Ramos / Hugo, Angel) and Danny Vaughn (Tyketto, Allied Forces, Traveler). He is also signed on to manage Chip’s future projects as well as shop Jack Marques’ soon to be completed solo record. China Blue (Josh Ramos, Eric Rango, Tony Mills), Faithsedge (Giancarlo Floridia, John Macaluso, Fabrizio Grossi), and the bands WickedWitch featuring Zak Stevens (Savatage, Circle II Circle) and Jeff Plate (Trans Siberian Orchestra, Metal Church, Savatage) in addition to Trigger Effect with guitarist / songwriter Matt Leff in both bands have also signed on as clients.
Who knows, perhaps Ron may even return to songwriting and pick up the mic again and collaborate with his artists to bring a few unreleased gems from The Calm and Visare days back to life…
