Our Staff

Barbara Gassaway

President/CEO, Moderator

One of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record, Capitol Region & State of Maryland Top 100 MBE, Barbara is the principal of The Research Group. As a seasoned research consultant and RIVA faculty, she has earned the respect of both clients and peers. Considered one of the nation’s market research industry leaders, Barbara is an active lecturer on the topics of market research best practices, human behavior, physician access, & brand strategy.

 

Over 15 years of creative market research experience in the healthcare industry. A differentiator appreciated by clients and colleagues is Barbara’s comprehensive understanding of strategic marketing principles along with current trends and practices in qualitative behavioral science. She is expert in managing client teams, project priorities, and creatively implementing methodologies to discover intimate, underlying feelings from respondents.

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Molly (McNerney) Petro

Consultant - Operations

Consultant – Operations, Moly consults with the staff at Observation Baltimore on issues related to human resources, and database management. Molly is an experienced Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the market research industry. She is skilled in Project Management, Market Research recruiting, Topline and in-depth report writing, and Database Management. She earned her BA in Mass Communications from Towson University, where she double majored in Advertising and Public Relations.

 

Molly has 15 years of Management experience and joined the Observation Baltimore team in 2013.

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Nina Ross

Project Manager

Nina comes to Observation Baltimore with a BS in Management and Marketing, an MBA from Salisbury University and most recently, an AA in American Sign Language. Attention to detail is Nina’s forte! She is a proactive communicator and works diligently to make sure that every aspect of the research process runs smoothly. Nina’s priority is to successfully recruit projects with accurate respondents and ensures each client is well-supported while visiting Observation Baltimore when conducting research.

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Pete Denman

Marketing & Client Services Manager

As the current Marketing & Client Services Manager, Pete is the gatekeeper for Observation Baltimore’s clients. Pete has supported hundreds of research projects and works closely with the Project Manager to ensure every client’s needs are accommodated. He values and coordinates each project, so details and follow-through ensue. Pete is well-equipped to provide project feasibility, availability, and coordination.

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Gisella Frisone

Hospitality Coordinator

As Observation Baltimore’s in-house Chef, Gisella brings over 25 years of hospitality and restaurant experience to her position. As famous as her Italian-born hospitable personality, Gisella creates fabulous and festive menus that satiate the most sophisticated palates. Although she is best known for her scrumptious desserts, her skill in anticipating a client’s need is unparalleled.

 

Gisella’s team is responsible for facility preparation, food and catering, and ensuring all in-house client requests are accommodated. She and her hospitality team’s priority is moderator care, and with great pleasure are proactively attentive to every client’s comfort.

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