What starts as a summer job can sometimes become something much bigger.

In this episode of Star City Stories, Alexis turns the microphone on Parks & Recreation Director Ryan Davis to talk about his own career journey—from starting out at the pool as a teenager to eventually leading the department.

Along the way, Ryan reflects on the people, experiences, lessons, and opportunities that helped shape his path, while also pulling back the curtain on just how many different careers exist within Parks & Recreation. The conversation explores what young employees can learn from a first job, how seasonal work can open unexpected doors, and why skills like dependability, initiative, service, and teamwork matter far beyond the summer season.

Whether you’re looking for your first job, thinking about your future, or simply curious about the people behind Miamisburg Parks & Recreation, this episode is a reminder that you never really know where that first opportunity might lead.

A summer job may be temporary. The skills, relationships, and direction it gives you can last a lifetime.

In Episode 4 of Star City Stories, Darren Miller and Katie Quackenbush return to go beyond the pools themselves and explore the many details that will shape the guest experience at Miamisburg’s new aquatic facility.

From admissions, concessions, bathhouses, shade, and seating to customer service spaces and staff planning, this episode highlights the intentional choices being made to create a facility that is welcoming, comfortable, and built for community. The conversation also takes an honest look at the challenges of construction, the uncertainty that comes with planning a brand-new operation, and the balancing act of building something exciting while keeping safety, service, and trust at the center of every decision.

More than just a construction update, Episode 4 is about the vision behind the project—and the people working every day to create a place where families will make memories for generations to come.

In Episode 3 of Star City Stories, we take a deep dive into the pool related features that will define Miamisburg’s new facility.

Host Ryan is joined by Darren Miller, Operations Division Manager, and Katie Quackenbush, Aquatics Manager, to walk through the exciting elements being built right now—from competition-ready lap lanes to family-friendly water features designed for all ages and abilities.

This episode goes beyond blueprints and construction updates. It’s about the experience. How will the space function? What makes it different from what we’ve had before? How are safety, accessibility, recreation, and long-term sustainability being built into every detail?

If you’ve been curious about what’s coming, this conversation will give you a clear picture of the energy, activity, and community moments this new facility is being designed to create.

The water may not be in it yet—but the excitement is already building.

In Episode 2 of Star City Stories, Parks & Recreation Director Ryan Davis sits down with Operations Division Manager Darren Miller to take listeners inside the current phase of the community pool project. This episode focuses on where construction stands today, how timelines are shaped, and why planning for a 2026 opening must happen while construction is still underway.

Recorded shortly after a winter snowstorm, the conversation also highlights how weather and real-time conditions can affect construction schedules—and why impacts aren’t always immediately known. Ryan and Darren explain how the project team evaluates these situations, avoids speculation, and communicates transparently as information becomes available.

Listeners will learn how key milestones ahead impact the 2026 season, and that season depends on staffing, training, safety readiness, and inspections and how these items play such a critical role in determining how and when the facility opens. The episode wraps up with a look at what makes this project exciting. We hope this episode is a clear, honest snapshot of a complex project in motion—and a reminder that progress isn’t just what you see on the construction site, but also the planning happening behind the scenes.

In the premiere episode of Star City Stories, we introduce the purpose behind the podcast and take a big-picture look at one of the most significant community investments in recent decades: the new community pool.

This episode sets the stage for Season 1 by explaining why the pool project matters—not just as a facility, but as a long-term investment in quality of life, recreation, and community connection. Listeners will hear why Parks & Recreation chose a podcast as the platform to share this story, how feedback from the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board shaped the idea, and why transparency and context are critical for a project of this scale.

We’ll discuss the community need the pool is designed to meet, the goals guiding the project, and why large public projects are often more complex than they appear from the outside. This episode is about framing the journey ahead—what listeners can expect from future episodes, how decisions are made, and how residents can better understand the “why” behind the work.

Whether you’re excited, curious, or simply looking for clear information, this episode invites you inside the conversation and sets the foundation for a season focused on understanding the process, challenges, and value of bringing a major community project to life.