Home

Mission

Programs

Osgood Board

Osgood Students

Osgood News

About the Osgoods

Accommodations

Donations

Forms

Contact Us

The Osgood Board:
 

Remembering Gretchen OsgoodGretchen Osgood

Gretchen Osgood died recently.  Her obituary says that she had no survivors.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Gretchen had a wide circle of friends and she had a large, loyal and loving cadre of men and women who used to be students of her husband, Bob Osgood.  She graciously entertained us at her home; she anchored us in her ready wit and her practical wisdom; she knew our families, our career paths, and our deep appreciation for her role in our lives; and she engaged us in discussions of life, politics and remembrances of SAIS. She helped the Osgood Center sustain itself, and she said it was a fitting tribute to Bob. For once she got it a little wrong; the Osgood Center has been, and will continue to be, a tribute both to Bob and Gretchen Osgood. Rest well, Gretchen, rest well.

 

Robert CresantiRobert C. Cresanti
SAP, Vice President, Communications and Government Relations
Former Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology
 

Robert C. Cresanti has substantial experience with intellectual property. As Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology and Chief of the Technology Administration (TA), Mr. Cresanti worked closely with the Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. His experience included advising the Secretary of Commerce on the impact of changes to patent policy regarding issues of competitiveness and innovation. Mr. Cresanti was also the highest deciding official in the US Government for patent disputes between agencies and inventors that were employed by the Government.

Immediately prior to joining Ocean Tomo, Mr. Cresanti served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology. While there, he led the almost 3000 staff of Technology Administration (TA) to maximize the competitiveness and innovation of the U.S. government and the technology industry. As Under Secretary, he co-chaired the Committee on Technology and the Interagency Working Group on Manufacturing R&D within the President's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

Before his confirmation, Mr. Cresanti worked in senior executive and legal positions with the two premier technology trade associations in Washington. Earlier in his career, he served as Staff Director for the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem. His experience in writing banking and securities legislation for the House and Senate Banking Committees allowed him to rise to the position of Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Financial Services and Technology for the Senate Banking Committee.

Mr. Cresanti received his B.A. degree from Austin College and his J.D. degree from Baylor University.


Denise FateDenise Fate
Director of Business Development for The Solution Group

As an executive with Volkswagen of America and Audi of America, Mrs. Fate distinguished herself over a span of 32 years with a variety of international experience.  In addition to assignments at VW world headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, 1987-88, and Volkswagen Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong 1994-97, Mrs. Fate also worked on or led global, cross-functional project teams in Puebla, Mexico, and Curitiba, Brazil.  This work gave her a unique perspective on the global operations of a major world automotive company.  In addition to finance and controlling responsibilities, a key area of focus was supply chain management. 

As General Manager of the Audi Academy in the US for many years, her team was regarded for providing progressive training and innovative HR tools to the Audi dealer network in the US and Canada.  These had the impact of elevating the professionalism of the dealer staffs.

Mrs. Fate is currently Director of Business Development for The Solution Group, a supplier of best-in-class human resource technology solutions based in Michigan.

She also serves on the Board of the Charlevoix Historical Society in Charlevoix, Michigan, Mrs. Fate is a 1976 graduate of Austin College, having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts.  She also holds a MBA in International Business from the University of Dallas.  


Bart FisherBart S. Fisher
Partner, Law Office of Bart S. Fisher

Bart S. Fisher is the Managing Partner of the Law Office of Bart S. Fisher in Washington, D.C., and a member of the District of Columbia bar. From 1972 through April, 1994, he practiced law with Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, D.C., where he was a partner as of January 1, 1978. He has also been a partner at Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn (1994-1995), and Of Counsel with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur (1996-2001), Bryan Cave (2002) and Dorsey & Whitney (2003-2004).

He attended Harvard Law School (J.D. 1972), The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and Bologna, Italy (M.A. 1967 and Ph.D. 1970), and Washington University (B.A. 1963). He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Washington University and awarded The Brookings Institution Fellowship in 1968.

Dr. Fisher is Professorial Lecture in American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He has also taught international trade and investment at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, George Mason University, and the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University.

He is ex-officio member of the Board of Governors, International Practice Section, Virginia State Bar. He was a participating member of the International Trade Working Group of the President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

He is Chairman of the Give Life Foundation, on the Board of Directors of The Marrow Foundation, and Vice-Chairman of The Institute at Biltmore. He has served as President of the Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation, which he founded in 1983.


Gregg FortGregg Fort
Assistant Vice-President of University Advancement
DePaul University

Fort is the Assistant Vice President of University Advancement at DePaul University in Chicago. Fort has developed a comprehensive campus partnership initiative (DePaul Partners) for DePaul that has been instrumental in securing over $9 million dollars in corporate funding during his time at the institution.  In addition to corporate relations, Fort oversees strategic planning for the Office of Advancement, DePaul’s President’s Club, the division’s prospect development initiative and coordinates the Catholic and Vincentian Capital Campaign. Fort is also the president and CEO of Fort Consulting, Inc. and Fort Group Limited.  Established in 1999, the Fort Group is a company specializing in NCAA Intercollegiate Athletics, affinity-based corporate partnership and capital facility development, facility feasibility studies and the consultation of corporate clients. He is a 1987 graduate of Austin College.


Dennis GonierDennis Gonier
Chairman, the Osgood Board
CEO, TARP Enterprises

Mr. Gonier brings his leadership skills to TARP and their clients with a stellar resume of experience and accomplishments as a pioneer and innovator in customer service, consumer research, product strategy and database marketing. Since the start of Internet Revolution, Mr. Gonier has been on the inside of America Online, most recently as Executive Vice President where he helped lead the dramatic turnaround of AOL. Mr. Gonier is credited with helping AOL change its business practices and delivered over $1BB in profit over three years after the Time Warner merger and during the transition to broadband. Prior to AOL, Mr. Gonier was the founder and CEO of Digital Marketing Services (DMS), a successful online marketing services company that pioneered new loyalty strategies and launched online research as an alternative to phone surveys; AOL bought DMS in 1999. Time Warner still relies on DMS, and Mr. Gonier’s innovative thinking now dominates the marketing research industry. Mr. Gonier has been named one of the ten “21st Century Stars” changing the face of consumer intelligence and marketing by American Demographics, and he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Brandweek, and others. In addition, he has been published in several academic journals and is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities worldwide.

Mr. Gonier is Valedictorian Graduate of Austin College (1983) with BS in Political Science, graduate work in Social Science at Institute of Urban Studies, University of Texas. He is a member of Board of Trustees, Austin College.


Robert HunterAmbassador Robert Hunter
Senior Advisor, Rand Cooperation
Former Ambassador to NATO

Robert Hunter is the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO under President Clinton.  He was instrumental in building the "New NATO," leading the North Atlantic Council in implementing decisions of the 1994 and 1997 NATO Summits and in obtaining air-strike decisions for Bosnia.  In recognition of this work, he was twice presented with the Pentagon's highest civilian decoration, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

With a distinguished career advising the U.S. executive and legislative branches of government on foreign policy issues, Hunter has played a national policy role in eight U.S. presidential election campaigns and has been a leading speechwriter for U.S. presidents, vice presidents, secretaries of state and defense, senators, and representatives for more than 30 years.

 

Robert Hunter earned his B.A. at Wesleyan University. He then spent time as a Fulbright Scholar and earned his PhD in International Relations at the London School of Economics.

 


Robert JohnsonRobert M. Johnson
President, the Johnson Group, LLC
 

The President of the Johnson Group is a producer and director with over 40 years experience in broadcasting, event production, and communications. One of Mr. Johnson's first productions, "Proudly They Came," was chosen as a Fourth of July special by both ABC and NBC. Later, and for the past 20 years, he has produced and directed the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Opening Ceremony. 

Mr. Johnson is the executive producer of the award winning film “Paper Clips,” a documentary that has won 14 major awards, and has been featured on HBO. “Paper Clips” was also recognized by the Board of National Review as one of the top five documentaries of 2004 and was nominated for an Emmy in 2006. 

Other projects include, "Living with Hope," a broadcast documentary about teens with HIV/AIDS, and "SAFE!" an educational video about the problem of domestic violence; both have won CINE Golden Eagle awards for excellence. The Johnson Group was also recognized with a 2000 Silver Catalyst Award for video excellence and innovation. Other projects have earned Mr. Johnson the Washington D.C. Emmy Award, Chris Film Award, and the San Francisco Film Festival Award. His film for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, "A Gift of Time," is featured in the Walt Disney educational film library.

In 2007, Mr. Johnson was named “Man of the Year” by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Washington.  Mr. Johnson is on the Board of Directors of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, DC and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Austin College in Sherman, TX. 


Tim KennedyTim Kennedy
Senior Consultant, Lockstep Consulting, LLC
 
Tim Kennedy has over a decade of experience in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill, at the White House, and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  He began his career on Capitol Hill as an aide to U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX-13) whom he served for five years, primarily as executive assistant.  Kennedy assisted Thornberry when he introduced a bill six months before 9/11/01 (with a companion bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman) calling for the creation of a new Federal department that focused on homeland security.
 
Kennedy next served for three and a half years as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Speaker of the House, the Hon. J. Dennis Hastert, the longest serving Republican Speaker in history.  In the Speaker's Office, he directed operations for the Speaker’s Deputy Chief of Staff and the Speaker’s Counsel/House Floor Director.  In this role, he helped coordinate policy issues, communications, special events, scheduling, and operations.  He also focused on Legislative Branch Continuity of Government, Continuity of Operations, and emergency planning issues.  He worked on the 2005 Presidential Inauguration, the 2004-2006 State of the Union Addresses, the Lying in Honor of Rosa Parks, the Lying in State of President Reagan, and the Lying in State of President Ford.  In his "spare" time, he assisted Speaker Hastert in editing his 2004 book, "Speaker:  Lessons from 40 Years in Coaching and Politics."  Kennedy also served as one of Hastert's two Official Proceedings assistants when Hastert served as Permanent Chairman of the 2004 Republican National Convention.  When Republicans lost the House majority in 2007, Kennedy accepted a transition position on the staff of Republican Leader John Boehner, assisted the new Democratic House majority as they assumed power for the first time since 1994, helped coordinate Speaker Hastert's transition, and oversaw the archiving of Speaker Hastert's official papers and memorabilia.
 
In May 2007, Kennedy became a Policy Director on the Homeland Security Council staff at the White House where he focused on emergency planning, Enduring Constitutional Government (ECG), Continuity of Government (COG), and Continuity of Operations (COOP) issues.  He was the White House lead for writing and implementing the President's National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan of August 2007 pursuant to National Security Presidential Directive 51/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 (NSPD-51/HSPD-20).  He also supported the National Exercise Program and served as a lead White House planner for National Level Exercise 2-08/Eagle Horizon 2008.
 
In July 2008, Kennedy became Associate Director for Strategic Planning in the Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  In this role, he served as a liaison to Capitol Hill on the Department's first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and other special projects.  He served as OLA's liaison to the Office of Public Affairs and the Strategic Planning Team, the Chief Financial Officer and appropriations staff, Office of Policy and the strategic planning staff, the Secretary’s official travel staff, the Transition Team, and others.  He assisted in efforts to ensure the new Administration would have a successful transition and wrote OLA's first Transition Plan for the Senate confirmation of new political appointees.  At noon on January 20, 2009, after 10 plus years as a Federal employee and political appointee, Kennedy's government employment ended.
 
In January 2009, Kennedy accepted the opportunity to utilize his experience on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue by becoming a Senior Consultant for Lockstep Consulting, LLC, a small business which supports the DHS Office of Business Continuity and Emergency Preparedness.  In this role, he is continuing his work on emergency planning and continuity issues.

Kennedy is a 1998 cum laude graduate of Austin College in Sherman, Texas, where he earned degrees in Political Science and Religion, served as Student Body President, was elected "Senior Man," and was a member of multiple "Outstanding" award winning Model United Nations teams.  Austin College awarded Kennedy its 2006 Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award for his efforts on behalf of the College.  In 2005, Kennedy earned a master's degree in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University.  Kennedy was a 2008 Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive in National and International Security Studies.  Kennedy was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, which he still considers home.


Helen LowmanHelen Lowman
Vice-President of Intercultural Education
AFS Intercultural Programs/USA

Helen Lowman is the Vice President of Intercultural Education and Quality for AFS Intercultural Programs/USA. She previously held the positions of Program Director and Director of Support and Risk Management also for AFS. Prior to coming to AFS in November 2004, Helen was named Country Director for Peace Corps/China and Peace Corps/Mongolia from May 2002. Until that time, she served as the Associate Director for Environmental Programming and Training at Peace Corps/China from July 2000.  

Previously, Helen worked as a Section Manager, overseeing the Event Coordination and Education section of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Also with the TNRCC, she was program manager for the Clean Cities 2000 program and the Texas/Mexico Border Outreach project. She interned for one-year with Biotechna Environmental in London, England and was a Peace Corps Volunteer for approximately three years in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

 

From San Marcos, Texas, Helen is an alumna of Austin College, Sherman, Texas, with a Bachelors degree in International Studies and Spanish, and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, Denver University with a Masters degree in International Economics and Development.


Erin MoseleyErin R. Moseley

President of Principled Strategies, LLC

Erin Moseley joined Lockheed Martin Corporation in March 2004 as Vice President, Sensors and Electronic Systems in the Washington Operations Office. In this position she leads the Washington Operations efforts in support of multiple business areas, primarily in the Electronic Systems area, ranging from sea-based platforms, to sensors and electronic systems, to simulation and training services and systems.

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin Mrs. Moseley served at General Dynamics Corporation, concluding her work there as Staff Vice President, Government Relations, Combat Systems. In this position she worked with the Department of Defense and other cabinet-level organizations and members of Congress on all General Dynamics’ Combat Systems, which encompassed combat vehicle programs for the Army and Marine Corps; armament programs; munitions systems; advanced research and development programs and technologies; nuclear, biological, and chemical defense, and robotics programs.

Prior to joining the defense industry, Mrs. Moseley served the government as the Special Advisor to the Deputy Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). From March 1996 to May 1998 she provided policy and technical information and advice to the Deputy Director for making decisions on policy objectives, issues, and procedures with respect to arms control, disarmament and the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons. Before working with the Deputy Director of the agency, she was a Physical Science Officer at ACDA, beginning in June 1995. In this capacity she provided technical information, advice, and guidance for making decisions on policy objectives, issues, and procedures with respect to the International Atomic Energy Agency, combating nuclear smuggling, wide-area environmental sampling to detect clandestine nuclear activities, and the non-nuclear weapons states of the former Soviet Union.

From June 1993 to June 1995 Mrs. Moseley was assigned to the Department of Energy as an International Safeguards Analyst for nuclear weapons and material from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Mrs. Moseley worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory throughout her undergraduate career. She graduated magna cum laude from Azusa Pacific University in California in 1992 with a double major in International Relations and Political Science and completed a Master of Arts in National Security Studies at Georgetown University in 1998. She has had frequent speaking engagements and publications throughout her career.


Alan PlattAlan Platt
Partner, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher
 
As Principal in the Washington office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Platt works on a range of national security and international economic issues.  He focuses on providing strategic advice to companies - both large and small - on high tech matters in the Executive and Legislative branches that affect their interests.

Mr. Platt previously has been Chief of the Arms Transfer Division of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, principal foreign policy advisor to U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie, a senior staff member of The Rand Corporation, and a Fellow at The Hoover Institution.  He is the author of three books and more than thirty articles on national security and international economic issues.

Mr. Platt received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1965, an Master of Arts from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1967 and a Ph.D. from Columbia in 1973. 
 

Sheldon RaySheldon Ray
Senior Portfolio Manager and International Wealth Specialist
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Sheldon is a Senior Portfolio Manager and International Wealth Specialist at  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Washington, DC.  He manages global equity and fixed income portfolios for individuals and institutions.  Sheldon's analysis focuses on risk management, corporate governance, global macroeconomics, and long-term geopolitical outlook, in addition to dividend yields, price-to-earnings ratios and other fundamentals.  He studies numerous aspects of China's emergence and assesses their impact on nearly all investment decisions.  He conducts his own research and maintains regular contact with senior government officials, diplomats, regulators and journalists.

Today, Sheldon serves on the advisory panel of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's publication, The Hong Kong Journal, a quarterly online communication (www.HKJournal.org).  He also co-chairs the investment committee of the National Capital Presbytery, which oversees 100 area churches, and monitors liquid investments and debt in excess of $30 million. Sheldon regularly speaks to business groups, academics and students on China, international financial markets and global corporate governance issues.
Ambassador Sally Shelton-ColbySally Shelton-Colby
Ambassador

Ambassador Sally Shelton-Colby has held a number of senior positions in the public, corporate and non-profit sectors as well as in international organizations.  She has been Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France; Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Global Programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development; U.S. Ambassador to Grenada, Barbados and several other Eastern Caribbean nations; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Legislative Assistant for Foreign Policy to then-Senator (later Secretary of the Treasury) Lloyd Bentsen.  Most recently she developed and ran a transparency and accountability project for USAID and the Government of Mexico in Mexico City.  She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy.

She was a Vice President of Bankers Trust Co. in New York City where she was responsible for managing the bank’s political risk in developing countries during the third world debt crisis of the 1980s.  She also served on the Boards of Directors of Valero Energy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest oil and gas pipeline company, and the Baring Puma Fund, a closed-ended fund traded on the London Stock exchange and engaged in acquiring emerging market equities.

Ms. Shelton-Colby has served on a number of non-profit Boards of Directors, including Helen Keller International, Helen Keller International Europe (where she was also president), the National Endowment for Democracy, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Atlantic Council of the U.S., the Center for International Environmental Law,  the American Committee for Aid to Poland, the American Hospital of Paris, and the Pan American Health and Education Foundation, among others.

She was one of the founders and first Chairman of the Board of Directors of UNAIDS, a U.N. entity which coordinates the HIV-AIDS prevention programs of the World Bank, the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, and UNFPA.  She served on two White House Commissions:  the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission (Russia), where she was Vice Chair of the Committee on Health and the Committee on Agriculture, and the Gore-Mubarak (Egypt) Commission where she was Co-Chair of the Committee on Education.


Greg WilliamsGregory M. Williams
Partner, Hughes, Hubbard and Reed

Gregory M. Williams has an area of concentration in Complex Civil Litigation, with experience in lightening a variety of contract, tort, constitutional, intellectual property and administrative claims, as well as international commercial arbitration. During his career experience Mr. Williams has also focused on Securities and White Collar Criminal Litigation, Enforcement, Regulation and Counseling with an emphasis on the representation of corporations, individuals and other entities in foreign corrupt practices act matters (investigations, due diligence and counseling).

Currently Mr. Williams represents pharmaceutical company in ICC Arbitration involving dispute under Supply Agreement and related patent issues in Latin American country, NYSE-traded company in connection with FCPA inquiry related to business in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, including in connection with an SEC and DOJ inquiry, and Fortune 500 Company in connection with FCPA advice regarding business in China, several Middle Eastern countries, Central Asia, Nigeria and India.

He has successfully represented European satellite operating company against a major European aerospace company in an ICC arbitration involving claims and counterclaims exceeding $150 million. Case was reported as one of the 20 largest recent international arbitrations in the summer 2003 American Lawyer report on arbitrations. Other selected matters include successful representation of VIACOM in toxic tort litigation, Ernst & Young LLP in securities and professional liability litigation, and Coltec Industries v. Zurich Insurance Company (N.D. Illinois) by representing policyholder in “lost insurance” policy case, including obtaining summary judgment regarding the existence and content of forty-year old, missing policies (the first such holding by the court). He has successfully represented several oil companies in breach of contract suit against the United States, resulting in $1.8 billion award (believed to be the largest to date for Court of Federal Claims). Representation of oil companies in related dispute involving same oil leases in administrative suit in 9th Circuit.

Mr. Williams received his J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law in 1997 (Editor, Virginia Law Review), M.A. with distinction from Johns Hopkins School of advanced International Studies in 1993, and B.A. with Honors in International Studies, Alpha Chi National Honors Society from Austin College in 1991.  

Mr. Williams has been admitted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. District for the Northern District of Illinois.

© 2010 Osgood Center