The Octagon

This week we sat down with Mike Giorgio, General Manager at Stowe Mountain Resort. Mike started his career at Mt Snow as Executive Chef and Head of Food and Beverage. He then was promoted to run resorts in the Midwest for Vail before joining Stowe as GM in November 2024. Mike has now been at the helm for almost a year and we are thrilled to have Mike on the podcast - to learn more about his background, what it's like to be the GM and get his perspective on all things Stowe Mountain!

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming into The Octagon studio Charles Safford. Charles is the Town Manager of Stowe, Vermont, a role in which he serves as the CEO of the town -  responsible for day-to-day municipal operations, advising and implementing Select board policy, and shepherding the town’s budget to the voters’ consideration. Charles has served in this role for 18 years and has guided Stowe through many transitions and changes to make the town what it is today.

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with local soccer icon Brian Buczek. Brian is the founder of the Vermont United Soccer Academy and current Associate Head Coach of the Stowe High School Girls Varsity Soccer team. As part of his rich coaching career he led the Stowe High School Boys Varsity Soccer team to multiple state titles and had stints coaching at Johnson State College and Middlebury College. Brian has played an integral role in the growth and development of soccer in Stowe and surrounding communities. 

This week we veered off from our traditional format diving into the stories and characters that make Stowe, Vermont so legendary.  We are calling this new series Octagon Labs.  Many community members have connected with us wanting to start their own podcast and this Labs extension of the traditional format brings an episode from community members diving into a specific topic or passion. The  goal of Octagon Labs is to provide our listeners with additional educational and thought provoking content to implement into their lives. For the second episode of Octagon Labs we explore all things trivia with Laura Weber and Nancy Duran. 

This week we veered off from our traditional format diving into the stories and characters that make Stowe, Vermont so legendary.  We are calling this new series Octagon Labs.  Many community members have connected with us wanting to start their own podcast and this Labs extension of the traditional format brings an episode from community members diving into a specific topic or passion. The  goal of Octagon Labs is to provide our listeners with additional educational and thought provoking content to implement into their lives. For the first episode of Octagon Labs we explore Mindfulness with past Octagon guest, Micheline Lemay and Christine Everitt. 

Join us for a trip down memory lane as we recap what was an unforgettable season 1 at the Octagon Podcast. We revisit the epic tales, personalities and history that makes Stowe such a special and unique community. In this episode we will also throw out some teasers for what to expect in season 2!

Stay tuned in after the season 1 recap for live footage of the sights and sounds of the famous Stowe 4th of July Parade!

This week we were excited to welcome Gregg Goodson into the Octagon studio. Gregg is a highly respected veterinarian based in Stowe, Vermont, serving as the owner and lead veterinarian at Stowe Veterinary Clinic. A graduate of Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, Gregg is known for his compassionate and attentive care, treating pets as if they were his own. 

To ring in the 30th episode at The Octagon we had George Petit join us in the studio. George is a jazz guitarist, a composer, an educator… and the force behind the Stowe Jazz Festival — happening this July which brings world class Jazz musicians to our community. George Petit has been a working musician, composer, arranger, engineer and producer for the better part of 37 years, playing his very first gig at the age of 13 in a West-end, London Pub...but even before that, he performed as a young musician at Carnegie Hall and on Broadway. Music is his passion and primary focus for his entire life. Starting piano lessons at age 5, Petit has enjoyed many years leading groups and performing on guitar and bass in a variety of genres and musical situations all over the world. Over the years, Petit has performed and played with many of the top musicians in the world. In addition, George has composed music for film, television and radio.

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Bryan Huber. Bryan  is a world renowned orthopedic surgeon with a long career serving in the Navy, as Team Physician for the USSA and U.S. Snowboard Team, Burton Snowboards, Stowe Mountain Ski Patrol and has performed countless surgeries on local Stowe residents and athletes. An avid athlete himself, Bryan played soccer, rugby and water polo in college and has been an avid snowboarder for years. Bryan was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2018 and that journey brings a unique perspective on life as a father, husband, and community member.

This week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Stowe native and local meteorologist Teagan Reeves. Teagan has always had a passion for weather. She graduated from Northern Vermont University – Lyndon with a degree in Atmospheric Science. After she graduated in spring of 2023, Teagan packed her bags and moved to Michigan to work as a weekend meteorologist - after being there for a little over a year - she came back to VT and in September of last year, she became the Meteorologist on the Burlington TV Station Ch 22/44. In her free time you can find Teagan hiking, snowboarding and playing in the outdoors with an eye on the sky for the next storm!