Bobby rejoined The Charles Group, LLC as President in April, 2005 after serving
from 2003 to 2005 as Assistant Secretary of State, for International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), under Secretaries Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
His tenure in the Bush Administration led to the development of strong international
relationships, which reinforce his strong ties with many in Congress and the administration.
Charles founded The Charles Group, LLC in 1999 upon leaving service as Staff Director
and Chief Counsel for the National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal
Justice Subcommittee (GRO) in the House of Representatives from 1995-1999. Charles
also served Subcommittee Chairman J. Dennis Hastert, onetime Speaker of the House,
as chief staffer to The Speaker’s Task Force on a Drug Free America from 1997-1999
and as top staffer to the Bi-Partisan Drug Policy Group from 1995-1999. Charles
maintains strong ties with House leadership.
A former litigator in New York and Washington, Charles worked at Weil Gotshal &
Manges and Kramer Levin between 1988 and 1995, clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Ninth Circuit, and taught both Government Oversight and Cyberlaw at Harvard
University Extension School from 1998-2001. In 2000, he was awarded Harvard's prestigious
Petra T. Shattuck Award for Excellence in Teaching by the University. In the first
Bush administration, Charles served in the White House as Deputy Associate Director,
Office of Domestic Policy and served as a temporary appointee in the first-term
Reagan White House during three stretches of 1981, '82 and '83.
A regular writer and commentator in print and broadcast media, Charles remains close
to many top decision makers in Washington, and formerly penned a column for the
Washington Times. He authored Narcotics and Terrorism, a 2004 volume explaining
national security and homeland security implications inherent in the worldwide illicit
drug trade. He has also authored a number of academic studies and law review pieces.
He was a Navy Intelligence Reservist for ten years, and served on active duty at
the Pentagon immediately following the September 11th attacks.
Charles received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in New York, M.A. in Politics,
Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University in England, and A.B. from Dartmouth
College in New Hampshire. Raised in Maine, he now lives in Maryland with his wife
and two children.
Marina Charles has been with The Charles Group since 2003. She manages the company's
operations and participates in the development of white papers and studies. Prior to
joining The Charles Group, she spent twelve years as a corporate transactional attorney,
first in New York City, focusing on corporate finance and venture capital work, then in
Washington, DC as part of an international transactional practice group. Marina has
extensive experience in contracts and regulatory analysis as well as international
business matters. Marina received her BA, cum laude, in Government from Harvard
University and her JD from Columbia University Law School, where she was a Stone Scholar.
She is fluent in French and Russian and lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.
Connor Martin joined the Charles Group in 2007, first as a fellow and then as a research
and policy analyst. At the Charles Group, Connor focuses on transnational crime and
narcotics trafficking, counter-terrorism and related international security issues,
topics on which he has written extensively. Connor served four years of active service
in the U.S. Marine Corps and honorably completed his service obligation as a non-commissioned
officer in 2002. In 2007, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin at
River Falls with a B.S. in History and a minor in Criminal Justice. Later that year,
in addition to interning with The Charles Group, LLC, Connor completed a course of study
at the Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown
University. Originally from Wisconsin, he currently lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Brian worked at The Charles Group from October 2010 to December 2012 as a Policy
Analyst and Senior Policy Analyst, specializing in national security policy and
management issues. Brian left The Charles Group as a full-time employee to enter
the veterans’ advocacy field, but remains affiliated with TCG in an advisory capacity.
Now, as Senior Advisor, Brian advises TCG and its clients on strategic planning and
performance management best practices. Prior to joining The Charles Group, Brian
worked at the Institute of International Education as the Program Coordinator of
the ROTC Language and Culture Program, a Department of Defense-sponsored program
that delivers foreign language and cultural education to ROTC cadets. From 2005-2008,
Brian served on active duty as a US Army Field Artillery officer, deploying to Baghdad
during Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09 as a platoon leader and staff officer in the 4th
Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Brian is a 2005 graduate of Georgetown
University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he majored in International
Politics, specialized in Security Studies, and studied Russian. Brian also holds an MA in
Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University, earning honors for his thesis,
“The United States Army and Counterinsurgency: History, Culture, Application, and
Institutionalization.” Originally from Freehold, New Jersey, Brian now lives in Washington, DC.
Nelson joined the Charles Group in February of 2011 as a Government Affairs Associate.
With experience working for the Science & Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security,
he brings insights into both crisis response programs and high technologies that reinforce that mission.
Following graduation from Washington & Lee University, Nelson managed a portfolio of issues within a
leading non-profit organization focused on emerging transportation and infrastructure programs across Latin America.
Upon leaving that post, he served as a contractor to the Science & Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland
Security, where he dedicated his chief attention to issues facing today’s first responder community and ways that new
technologies can benefit first responders on a daily operational basis. At Washington & Lee University, Nelson
graduated with a double major in Politics and Spanish in 2008. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, he currently
resides in Washington, DC.
Rachel Wein joined The Charles Group in September, 2012 after an introductory period with the team in Spring 2011. Rachel graduated from the University of Central Florida (May 2012) with a B.A. in International and Global Studies, as well as a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. As immediate background, in Summer 2011, Rachel participated in an international seminar held in Crete, Greece that brought together scholars from across the Middle East, the Balkans, and the United States to facilitate intercultural dialogue on key issues, from political economy to conflict management. As a practiced writer and researcher in both security and international affairs, Rachel brings depth in regions central to the Charles Group areas of international practice. She will focus on global security issues, counter-narcotics topics affecting both domestic and international security, and targeted research tied to growing federal markets. Rachel is from Coconut Creek, Florida and is now a resident of Alexandria, Virginia.
Caroline Howle joined The Charles Group in September, 2012 as a Research Fellow, after graduating summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with a double major in History and Political Science. She graduated with honors in History and was a semi-finalist for the Vandenbosch Outstanding Senior Award, the most prestigious academic award presented by the Political Science Department. While at UK, Caroline worked as a research intern, developing special depth in international issues, including the role of the International Red Cross in advancing human rights around the globe. In 2010, she spent time in Washington, interning with a member of Congress and gaining exposure to the federal legislative process, legislative writing, and the ebb and flow of congressional activity. Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Caroline currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia.