The Link

pod617 - The Boston Podcast Network

Three high school classmates who graduated Milton Academy in 1986 (plus a fourth if you include Producer Dave) reunite for a podcast that is one part reminiscing, two parts truth-seeking and a splash of serendipity. Join Farah Pandith, Diana Donovan and Meredith Zinner for The Link. As the Class of ‘86 nears middle age, we’ve witnessed a great deal of change in our lives—and experienced hardships and joys. We are old enough to have some perspective and perhaps even some insights. We’re interviewing our classmates—some of the most interesting people we know—to collectively reflect on where we started, how far we’ve come, and where we might be headed. You can email our producer David Yas at david@pod617.com.

  1. Sage Advice: Donald on Wilderness, Music, Buddhism & More

    MAY 1

    Sage Advice: Donald on Wilderness, Music, Buddhism & More

    Meredith, Farah, Diana and Dave welcome guest Donald Sage (also Milton Academy class of ’86), who lives with his wife Ellie in Fort Bragg on California’s Mendocino coast. Donald recounts meeting Ellie at a Deadhead concert, describes their quiet life amid redwoods and ocean winds, and shares his early life: growing up on a Montana cattle ranch, his mother Hope’s brain tumor and death by suicide when he was nearly nine, and being taken in by the Bancroft family in Medfield, Massachusetts. He discusses studying environmental conservation at the University of Colorado Boulder, therapy, Buddhism, meditation, and a semester in Kathmandu, plus later meditation communities and a pilgrimage to Buddhist sites in India. Donald reflects on music—from Milton orchestra and jazz to playing jam/jazz-rock-blues in clubs—plus parenting two grown children. The group reminisces about Milton baseball trips to Florida, considers attending the May reunion, and ends with Donald’s kindness-focused reflection and a brief meditation bell exercise.   Topics 00:51 Mood Check Roundtable 02:04 Introducing Donald C 03:05 Life on Mendocino Coast 04:51 How We Met Ellie 06:56 Montana Roots and Loss 10:12 New Family in Medfield 11:43 Boulder Healing and Buddhism 12:37 Milton Orchestra Triangle Story 16:00 Drumming and Band Days 18:04 Retired Trust Fund Life 18:52 Kids and Clean Energy 19:42 Meditation and Nepal Tease 20:13 Nepal To India Journey 21:13 Bitterroot Ranch Life 22:06 Organic Farming Values 22:50 Family Updates And Pets 24:08 Baseball Florida Memories 26:08 Reunion Plans And Yearbooks 28:50 Mill Valley Reflections 29:56 Kindness And Meditation Practice 33:22 Advice To Younger Self 35:07 Bell Breathing And Farewell

    38 min
  2. From Netflix to TKO, Dean Garfield For The Win

    APR 17

    From Netflix to TKO, Dean Garfield For The Win

    Farah, Meredith, Diana and Dave welcome classmate Dean Garfield, reflecting on high school in the 1980s and reconnecting after decades. They introduce Dean’s public-policy career, including senior roles at Netflix as VP of Public Policy, industry associations, and advisory appointments under Presidents Obama and Trump, and discuss his new role as SVP of Government Affairs at TKO (WWE, UFC, On Location, and IMG). Dean answers ’80s rapid-fire questions (movies, music, Milton classes, library hangouts, dress code, snacks), then shares his immigration story from Jamaica, early experiences in Boston during busing, how Milton became a supportive breakthrough for his family, and how sports helped him acclimate. He describes living abroad in Amsterdam and Singapore, returning to New York and Martha’s Vineyard, his daughters’ education and careers, his Netflix priorities (local-for-local global content, live sports including women’s sports, and theatrical windows), why he left Netflix, his interest in Saudi Arabia’s social transition, and how AI may reshape culture and business.   Topics 00:43 Meet The Hosts And Guest 01:57 Dean Garfield Career Highlights 03:48 Eighties Rapid Fire Quiz 06:05 Milton Memories And Snacks 11:45 From Jamaica To Boston 13:09 Finding Milton And Mentors 17:28 Sports And Staying Connected 19:05 Life Today Family And Travel 21:51 Career Through Line Begins 23:11 Chasing High Performance 24:22 Curiosity Across Cultures 24:59 Reconnecting After Decades 26:10 Netflix Influence Playbook 27:05 Local for Local Explained 28:03 Sports and Theatrical Bets 30:23 Why He Left Netflix 32:20 Choosing the Next Role 34:11 Inside TKO and WWE UFC 37:18 Geopolitics and AI Focus 40:30 Golden Age of Television 44:56 Advice to Younger Self 49:21 Farewell and Where to Connect

    51 min
  3. Jen Stromsten: Loving Vermont

    APR 17

    Jen Stromsten: Loving Vermont

    Meredith, Diana, Farah and Dave catch up with Jen Stromsten (attended Milton for two years, entering as a junior). Jen shares her path from Brown to a UMass Amherst master’s in regional planning, and her current work as Director of Programs at Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), an economic development nonprofit in southern Vermont. She describes working “boots on the ground” on workforce initiatives like a “reality fair” for Vermont high schoolers, grant-funded economic development, housing as a long-running planning focus, and efforts to reverse demographic decline through rural refugee resettlement—accelerated by arrivals after Afghanistan. Jen discusses living in Greenfield, Massachusetts, her husband Dave’s career as a historian of technology and curator, and how Milton’s peer culture and supportive administrators shaped her. She reflects on local problem-solving, antigovernment capacity constraints in rural areas, and wanting nonprofits to solve problems strongly enough to make themselves obsolete.   Topics 01:01 Hosts Catch Up 01:56 Oat Creamer Rant 02:37 Meet Jen Stromsten 04:01 Milton Memories 06:10 Roots and Instability 08:51 Marriage and Career Path 10:41 Grad School Pivot 12:38 Housing and Planning 13:40 Vermont Yankee Closure 15:19 Boots on Ground Work 17:31 Refugee Resettlement 19:41 Kids and Family Life 20:37 Love Story Timeline 22:23 Where Are You Now 22:32 Country Life and Commuting 23:13 Museum Trips and Bletchley Park 24:06 Rural Policy and Government Capacity 26:51 Milton Influence and Peer Culture 29:25 Mentors and Hyatt Dinner Story 32:33 Local Action and Energy Policy 36:36 Nonprofit Innovation Mindset 39:30 Advice to Milton Self 42:56 Housing Advocacy and Vermont Impact 45:59 Wrap Up and Where to Find Jen

    48 min
  4. Michael Gitlitz: The Art of ‘Chickie’

    APR 6

    Michael Gitlitz: The Art of ‘Chickie’

    Diana, Farah, Meredith and Dave crack open the time capsule and pull out classmate Michael Gitlitz—art dealer, museum director, and living proof that those Milton art history classes weren’t just a GPA play. Michael takes us from dorm-room décor (read: questionable) to a globe-trotting, 25-year run in the high-end art world—Herschel & Adler, Marlborough Gallery, Paddle8—before landing as executive director of the Katonah Museum of Art. Now “retired” (sure, Michael), he’s still wheeling, dealing, collecting, and casually dropping knowledge on 17th–20th century art like it’s fantasy baseball stats. Along the way: – The exact moment Milton lit the art-history fuse – Why art dealers matter (and why academia might not scratch the same itch) – A return to the ‘80s that includes fashion crimes and social survival tactics – Teachers who mattered, crushes that didn’t, and the masks we all wore – And a refreshingly real look ahead to the 40th reunion—less posing, more honesty, and finally talking about mental health without whispering it like it’s contraband It’s part nostalgia, part career masterclass, part group therapy—with better stories and worse outfits. Time Codes (because we’re professionals… allegedly): 00:00 Welcome Back to The Link 01:33 Meet Michael Gitlitz (yes, that one) 04:05 How a Milton kid ends up in the global art game 05:29 Back to the Eighties Quiz (brace yourself) 09:56 Style Regrets: A Group Confession 14:47 The Milton Spark That Started It All 15:56 Gap Year = Life Upgrade 18:05 Why Art Dealers Actually Matter 19:53 Family Stories You Didn’t Expect 20:43 Art Dealing: How the Sausage Is Made 22:08 Classmates in the Arts (you’ll be surprised) 23:04 Milton Needs a Museum (seriously) 24:53 The Cost of Collecting (spoiler: not cheap) 26:14 Favorite Living Artist 27:12 Retirement… kinda 29:09 Teachers Who Changed Everything 34:53 Reunion Talk + Mental Health (finally, honestly) 37:22 Crushes, Masks, and Surviving High School 39:00 Rules, Discipline, and Sanctuary 42:45 Life After the Art World (is there such a thing?) 43:45 Advice to Our Younger, Dumber Selves 46:30 Wrap Up (we stuck the landing)

    47 min
  5. The Fabulous Nicole Holt on Narcolepsy, Seattle Island Life & Finding Your Way Back

    MAR 27

    The Fabulous Nicole Holt on Narcolepsy, Seattle Island Life & Finding Your Way Back

    The guest is Nicole Holt, now living on an island near Seattle. The show opens with 1980s rapid-fire memories (Talking Heads and Pink Floyd on a Walkman, shoulder pads, and hanging out in the “butt room”). Nicole shares that she has narcolepsy, describing how it affected her at Milton, the long path to diagnosis, and extreme REM onset confirmed by EEG, plus safety strategies like pulling over when driving and even briefly falling asleep while swimming laps. She recounts leaving Bennington on medical leave and later learning a parent withdrew her while claiming she failed out, as well as studying political philosophy at William & Mary as an unclassified student. Nicole discusses making horse-themed art, maintaining a studio, leasing and riding a highly trained horse, limited contact with Milton classmates, plans to attend reunion, and her child’s transition, estrangement, and later progress including unionizing at work.   Topics 00:42 Meet The Hosts 01:29 Introducing Nicole Holt 02:52 Walkman And Music 04:32 Favorite Classes 06:20 Campus Style And Hangouts 06:50 Butt Room Memories 09:00 Life In Seattle Island 09:28 Andrew And The Move 12:45 Careers And Law School Era 14:33 Narcolepsy Explained 19:36 Bennington And Withdrawal 21:52 Art And Studio Plans 23:51 Keeping In Touch 23:54 Missing Kristen Henley 25:30 10 Acre Memories 26:30 Quilling and Sleepovers 27:01 Reunion and Hermiting 27:58 Pandemic Parenting Saga 31:25 Art Research Adventures 33:57 Bennington Drama Stories 35:09 Milton Plays Throwback 36:17 Advice to Younger Self 39:31 Horses Again as Adult 40:36 Teeth Troubles and Dreams 42:11 Goodbyes and Wrap Up

    44 min
  6. Sylvia (Castillo) Slack on Milton, Counseling, and Aikido Life in Oregon

    MAR 16

    Sylvia (Castillo) Slack on Milton, Counseling, and Aikido Life in Oregon

    Hosts of The Link—Milton Academy Class of 1986—welcome guest Sylvia Slack (formerly Sylvia Castillo) from outside Portland, Oregon, joined by her dog Keto. After an ’80s-themed “Dare to Be True” icebreaker, Sylvia shares what she loved about Milton: the people, being away from home, and feeling accepted. She explains being recruited from San Antonio through A Better Chance, receiving scholarship travel, and choosing Williams College, where she majored in psychology inspired by Mrs. Griffin. Sylvia describes a 20-year career in Communities in Schools counseling at-risk students and later training staff, retiring in 2010 when moving to Oregon. She and her retired deputy U.S. marshal husband maintain a wooded acreage, build ongoing projects, and hunt deer and elk. She discusses Aikido’s conflict-resolution philosophy, travel through a dojo network, and reflects that time goes fast and should be fully appreciated.   Topics 01:31 Meet Sylvia and Keto 03:08 Dare to Be True  07:40 Milton Memories and Favorites 10:02 Life in Oregon Woods 14:39 Deck Projects and Visitors 16:34 How Sylvia Found Milton 19:06 Choosing Door Number Two 21:09 Family of Eight Support 22:09 Williams and Psychology Path 23:36 Counseling At Risk Students 25:15 From Counselor to Trainer 27:33 Retiring to Portland Life 28:24 Aikido Philosophy and Practice 33:03 Reunions and Big Question 35:24 Advice to Younger Self 37:03 Reconnect and Farewell

    39 min
  7. Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper

    12/23/2021

    Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper

    The Link wraps up Season 2 with a great visit with Derrick Cooper. Hear about his life as a pharmacist - and a grandpa! Coops also recalls his Milton role models and tells the tale of why he did a handstand during a wrestling weigh-in.

    39 min
  8. Caitlin’s Adventures in the Arts

    12/15/2021

    Caitlin’s Adventures in the Arts

    Caitlin Bermingham has been working at the Whitney Museum of Art for the past 14 years in preparations and exhibitions. She is currently the head preparator, dealing with logistics and packing of exhibitions that go all over the world.Learn about her career in art, her own work and her stint as a bass player in the punk rock band Cheesecake!Please support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thelinkpodcast Email producer Dave with feedback: david@pod617.com Get your own podcast at www.pod617.com/contact

    43 min
See All (21)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Three high school classmates who graduated Milton Academy in 1986 (plus a fourth if you include Producer Dave) reunite for a podcast that is one part reminiscing, two parts truth-seeking and a splash of serendipity. Join Farah Pandith, Diana Donovan and Meredith Zinner for The Link. As the Class of ‘86 nears middle age, we’ve witnessed a great deal of change in our lives—and experienced hardships and joys. We are old enough to have some perspective and perhaps even some insights. We’re interviewing our classmates—some of the most interesting people we know—to collectively reflect on where we started, how far we’ve come, and where we might be headed. You can email our producer David Yas at david@pod617.com.

Information

  • Creator
    pod617 - The Boston Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2021 pod617 - The Boston Podcast Network, All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Link