CAPTAIN BURGIO, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR ARMY BACKGROUND AND TIME SERVING.

 

I had the privilege of serving in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2013. It was an incredible experience — I got to lead soldiers, take on a wide variety of jobs, and along the way made some of the best friends of my life. The majority of my time was spent stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, with other stops in Georgia and Kentucky. In 2010–2011, I deployed to the Arghandab River Valley in Kandahar, Afghanistan as a rifle platoon leader.

 

Since leaving the Army, I’ve found ways to keep serving. I’ve mentored fellow veterans pursuing top-tier graduate schools, and these days I work with the United States Military Academy admissions team to help our great Colorado candidates earn their appointments to West Point.

 

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR HOME?

 

We’ve been in this home for about six years now — but we’ve been lucky enough to call this neighborhood home for over a decade.

 

 

WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM? OR ARE YOU DENVER NATIVES?

 

We’re both transplants — I grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Meagan is from Knoxville, Tennessee.   After being stationed at Fort Carson, I fell in love with Colorado and always vowed to come back.

 

 

WHAT COLLEGES DID YOU ATTEND IF ANY?

 

I attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and later earned a graduate degree from Harvard. Meagan is a proud Tennessee Volunteer and went on to earn her graduate degree from the College of William and Mary.

 

 

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREERS.

 

After the Army and grad school, I spent some time in consulting before transitioning into tech. Today I’m at an early-stage startup called Honey Homes, where we help people across the country take care of their general home maintenance — making their house feel a little more like a home. On the side, I help small businesses with marketing and do some undergraduate college admissions consulting.

 

Meagan has built her career in economic consulting and is currently at Monument Economics Group.

 

 

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.

 

Meagan and I have been raising our four kids here in Denver. Our twins, Devon and Avery, are 15, then we have Whit at 9, and our youngest, Florence, is 6. Between school, activities, and four busy social lives, we are rarely bored around here!

 

 

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR FREE TIME, WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

 

There’s always something going on — at the house, in the neighborhood, and out West. We love walking along Seventh Avenue and exploring all the parks and green spaces nearby. The kids’ activities keep us happily busy, and whenever we can sneak away, we spend a lot of time in the mountains fishing, hiking, and just taking in that fresh mountain air.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE A CAUSE OR CHARITY/NON-PROFIT YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT?

 

One of the causes closest to my heart is Legacies Alive, founded by one of my fellow platoon leaders in Afghanistan, Mike Viti. The organization honors and supports Gold Star families — the families of those who have lost a loved one in war — and the work they do is truly meaningful.

 

I also care a great deal about helping veterans make the transition out of the service, and I’ve spent a lot of time working with Service 2 School, which helps recently transitioned veterans earn spots in top graduate programs.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DENVER/COLORADO RESTAURANT (OR MORE THAN ONE)?

 

There are many — and honestly it depends on the day. We seem to find ourselves at Fortune Wok to Table in Cherry Creek quite a bit, and of course we love our neighborhood staples like Angelo’s and Table 6. Denver has so many great restaurants that it’s hard to pin down just a few. Side note: this is one of my favorite topics of conversation, so if you ever want to compare notes on the best spot for a particular cuisine, I’m always game.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATION?

 

Honestly, our favorite getaway is just a few hours away in the mountains. Really, anywhere we can explore, try new food, and connect a little more with the outdoors and nature is our kind of trip.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING INTERESTING TO SHARE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

 

One of the most fun things we’ve done since moving in is dig into the history of our house. We’ve uncovered all kinds of interesting facts about how it was built, who lived here before us, and a few of the events that have taken place on the property over the years. There is so much history in Denver, and the downtown library has been an incredible resource for learning more about our neighborhood — highly recommend it to any neighbor curious about the story of their own home.

 

 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS AND/OR WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TO CELEBRATE?

 

Our favorite holiday to celebrate is by far the Fourth of July — it’s bigger than any other holiday in our family. We usually get 30+ people together to barbecue, eat lots of great food, and just connect. It’s the highlight of our year.

 

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU ARE INVOLVED WHITH 7TH AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

 

As a family, we’ve been getting involved in small but meaningful ways. Our kids have been working on service hours as part of their school projects, and we’ve been putting most of that time toward cleaning up the neighborhood and picking up trash. Hopefully it helps keep this place looking as good as it feels — so everyone can enjoy it as much as we do.

 

PLEASE TELL US ANYTHING INTERESTING, UNUSUAL, OR FUN ABOUT YOU OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE.

 

We think this is such an incredible and unique neighborhood — close to everything Denver has to offer, yet it still feels like an actual neighborhood, where you can connect with the people around you and walk to great food, restaurants, coffee shops, and all sorts of fun things to do. We feel lucky to be a part of it.