Management Team

President: Charles Santangelo

Mr. Santangelo is former regional director of the US Agency for International Development's Global Technology Network, a worldwide, award-winning e-business network. He was USAID business liaison to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and also served at a director-level position with the White House Communications Office for the NATO Summit (1999).  For the past two years Mr. Santangelo has been Assistant Professor of International Business, Economic Policy and Information Technology at American University .

Mr. Santangelo is frequently interviewed by the national and international media, most recently on the subject of business visa delays, by CNN, ABC News, Fortune Magazine, Business Week, Newsweek, Time, Bloomberg Media, and the International Herald Tribune.  He has also shared his expertise on the reconstruction of Iraq with news organizations throughout the U.S.  

Mr. Santangelo holds an MBA from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Holy Cross College. He has conducted business and government activities in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Central America, and is proficient in Spanish.  He serves on the Advisory Board of the World Bank Global Gateway.

Mr. Peter Barca, Associate

Mr. Barca is a former U.S. Congressman and Regional Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  He is also Vice President of Aurora International (www.aurorainternational.com), where he is responsible for business development, marketing, program and service delivery of private and public sector services in numerous countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central America. He developed strategic partnerships with many companies in this region.  He was twice recognized by Fortune Magazine's Special Small Business Edition as one of the "Power 30," the most powerful people in America leading changes for small businesses. Fortune cited his success in international trade a key reason for the recognition.  As a former U.S. Congressman and Wisconsin State legislator he was named "Legislator of the Year."  Twice his colleagues elected him as the Majority Caucus Chairman.  As Chairman of the International Trade Sub-committee he helped to establish foreign trade offices in numerous countries and led missions to Southeast Asia, including China.

Mr. Brian D. Roberts, Associate

Mr. Roberts is CEO of Croix Connect, a Strategy and Technology Consulting firm that works across industries to resolve business problems in the three broad areas of people, processes and the technologies within them.  Brian’s company, Croix Connect offers a complete range of organizational, technology, and operational development programs in the area of Change Management, Team Building , Strategic & Tactical Planning, Business Process Optimization, Business Technology Optimization, and Information Technology Best Practices.  Croix Connect has Fortune 100 and government agencies as clients. 

Brian hosts Washington DC ’s only long format business radio show, Taking Care of Business, focusing on all aspects of business.  He can be heard every Sunday at 3 pm , on WMAL (630 on the AM dial).

Brian has vast experience leading Operations, Information Technology, Engineering, and Project Management functions. He was an officer in the United States Air Force, with assignments at the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) and the Pentagon.  Brian is on the board of directors of Catholic Charities of the Arlington Diocese, Tysons Corner Rotary Club, where he is also the Program Director, the Capital Society (Washington DC area Clubcorp business clubs), and the IT Service Management Forum’s (itSMF) National Capital Region, where he was also a founding member.  He is also a member of AFCEA, the Armed Forces Communication and Engineering Association.

Brian received his BS in Computer Sciences from the University of Maryland , College Park .  He also graduated from the United States Air Force Officer Training School .

Mr. Frank Spasaro, Associate and CTO

Mr. Spasaro is former President and CEO of Burning Tree Technologies (BTT), a network architecture & infrastructure security services firm, which he co-founded and led from 1998 until its sale in 2002. He has over twenty-two years experience in management and senior staff positions with major telecom and IT service providers, including MCI Telecommunications, Concert Communications, and e.spire Communications.  His business experience includes product marketing (including market analysis, product development, advertising, market surveys, and product pricing), finance and accounting, international business development, staffing and recruiting, and program management.  His IT experience includes systems planning, integration, management, operations, and security.

As CTO, Mr. Spasaro provides consultative support on TSG projects and operational activities related to the evaluation, development, implementation, and management of information systems by TSG and its clients.

Mr. Spasaro holds an Bachelor's degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Ms. Therese Fergo, Associate

Ms. Fergo has 18 years of business development experience with Global 1000 companies, entrepreneurial firms, and with international organizations in management, market research, business analysis and strategic planning, corporate finance and communications, project fulfillment and evaluation.  She previously worked for the European Union, United Nations Children's Fund, American Express Travel Related Services and for publicly held and start-up companies dealing with international trade and development worldwide.   As a senior executive, she has been involved in the strategic planning and development of an array of services and products, including marketing/business plans and related corporate presentations, multi-million dollar fundraising activities, and media relations. She also established and maintained successful relationships with security analysts and investment managers, strengthened and expanded the scope of investor relations, and controlled the level and effectiveness of related corporate communications vehicles.  Other significant activities include monitoring and administering sizeable budgets; analyzing and interpreting key financial market developments, and developing related business objectives. Ms. Fergo holds an MBA in International Business and Finance from The Johns Hopkins University.  She is fluent in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Danish.