MANAGEMENT TEAM
Carefully selected for their experience and contributions to the industry, the Universal Space Network (USN) team leads with confidence and skill. We’ve created a system where individuals can excel, ideas can take flight and bureaucracy has been purposely left out.

Thomas R. Ingersoll
Chief Executive Officer & Board Member

Mr. Ingersoll was selected by USN founder Charles “Pete” Conrad, Jr., to lead the management of the USN operation and turn his vision for USN into reality. He has been an officer and a director of the company since its incorporation in 1996. Prior to joining USN, Mr. Ingersoll enjoyed a 10-year term at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in the Advanced Programs/PhantomWorks Division. He has held leadership roles in several significant programs, including co-pilot and lead flight test engineer on the Delta Clipper Experimental (DC-X) reusable launch vehicle, as program manager of the NASA DC-XA upgrade project and as deputy program manager of the X-33 program. In addition, he was involved in a number of advanced space power and transportation R&D programs. Mr. Ingersoll holds two U.S. patents.



Joseph H. Rothenberg
Chief Customer Service Officer, President & Board Member

Mr. Rothenberg’s career spans 21 years in the aerospace industry and 18 years with NASA. He retired from NASA in 2001 as the associate administrator for Space Flight, having been responsible for the Space Shuttle, Space Station and all of NASA’s Space Operations and Space Communications programs. From 1995 until his promotion in 1998, he served as director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where he was responsible for the development and execution of the scientific research program carried out by NASA's Earth-orbiting scientific satellites.

Mr. Rothenberg joined NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in 1983 as the Hubble Space Telescope operations manager. In 1990, he was named to lead the Hubble Space Telescope Project and is widely recognized for the success of its first servicing mission, which corrected the telescope's flawed optics. In 1987, he was named chief of the Mission Operations Division, and in 1989, deputy director of the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate.



David Wopschall
Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Wopschall joined USN as executive vice president, CFO and secretary of the corporation in 2001. Previously, he held the position of vice president and CFO of Stellex Electronics, a Tyco International company, where he was instrumental in establishing it as a broadband wireless microwave communication company. His career highlights also include over 20 years of key, progressive financial and accounting management positions with Fortune 500 companies for both commercial and government businesses, including Ford Motor Company, Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation, Space Systems/Loral, Lockheed Martin Corporation and Unocal Corporation. In addition, he has been responsible for the development and implementation of satellite communications strategic plans and boasts a wide range of financial and operational experience, including mergers and acquisitions.



Kenneth D. Riley
Vice President & General Manager, DoD Programs

Mr. Riley has over 30 years of experience in space operations and management supporting DoD and NASA programs. He spent nine years with Lockheed Martin Technical Operations providing satellite operations support for the Air Force Satellite Control Network and NASA's Deep Space Network. He also spent over 20 years serving in the U.S. Air Force commanding various space operations units at Onizuka AFB in Sunnyvale, CA, and at Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE.



Thomas M. Pirrone
Vice President, Customer Development

As one of the early members of the USN team, having joined in April 1997, Mr. Pirrone has been instrumental in leading the company’s marketing and business development functions. Prior to joining USN, he served as general manager of GDP Space Systems, a ground station products manufacturer serving NASA, the commercial space industry and the DoD. Prior to joining GDP Space Systems in 1991, Mr. Pirrone held engineering, sales and management positions at the Aydin Corporation (now L-3 Communications), where he played a critical role in the design and implementation of satellite ground station equipment for NASA and the DoD. Most notably, Mr. Pirrone is credited with the design of ground-based data processing equipment for the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and for the DoD’s F-14, F-16 and B-2 flight test programs. In addition, as international sales manager at Aydin Monitor Systems, Mr. Pirrone was directly responsible for the sale, implementation and installation of Euro-fighter and Tornado aircraft flight test ground stations in Germany, Italy, England, Spain and Finland.


A.J. “Nino” Polizzi
Vice President, Customer Integration

In leading our customer integration team, Mr. Polizzi is responsible for supporting integration and test efforts for new customers utilizing the USN network. Prior to joining USN in 2000, Mr. Polizzi served 18 years with McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, where he gained extensive experience in aerospace design, test, manufacturing and technical management. He held key positions on several major programs, including cognizant engineer for the DC-X vehicle and ground electrical systems, chief engineer for the Mast Mounted Sight (MMS), design lead on the "Unity" module of the International Space Station and Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead for the Space Station truss utilities.



Steve Montgomery
Director, Customer Operations

Mr. Montgomery leads USN’s customer operations team and is responsible for the operation, maintenance and development of the USN network of ground stations. He joined USN in 1999 as systems engineering manager and has been instrumental in the design and implementation of the USN tracking stations. He also participated in the design, testing and execution of specific mission support solutions and has actively supported over 30 satellite and rocket launches for USN.

Prior to joining USN, Mr. Montgomery led ground station development and implementation for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). While at the NRL, Steve supported the design and international implementation of multiple satellite communications systems in support of a national intelligence asset. His activities spanned sub-system design, systems integration and test, regulatory compliance testing with host nation agencies, operations and maintenance training and system life cycle support.


Dave Massey
Chief Technologist

After joining USN in March 1997, Mr. Massey led the technical implementation of the USN Commercial Ground Network. From April 1996 to March 1997, Mr. Massey served as director of satellite systems for GDP Space Systems, a ground station products manufacturer. Prior to that, Mr. Massey was a space systems engineer for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for 17 years, a career that included roles as the chief architect of the NASA Network Polar Ground Stations and the lead in the modernization of the NASA Tracking Network. He was responsible for the design and operation of the Transportable Orbital Tracking System (TOTS) and the Advanced Wallops Orbital Tracking System (AWOTS). He was also instrumental in the successful operation of TT&C services for virtually every NASA science mission since 1984.