Our Team

Irene Santoro
President and LEED AP BD&C

Irene Santoro is an accomplished LEED® Accredited professional and a multi leveled designer in the tri state area. She is the creative inspiration behind this well-established business. For over the past 20 years Irene Santoro has used the experience and knowledge that she has gained from the design industry to teach students the importance of adapting sustainable building strategies into their business practices.

Leadership in the Industry
Irene Santoro is a LEED AP BD&C consultant and instructor for Forever Green Training & Sustainable Design; a company that holds seminars that teach the methodology of green building practices. Ms. Santoro is also an instructor at several colleges in the tri-state area for CE (LU) for Registered Architects, Engineers Urban Planners, Construction Managers, Real Estate appraisers and Brokers. One of the colleges Ms. Santoro is an instructor at is Pratt Institute Center for Continuing Education and Professional Study in New York City.

Ms. Santoro's course called LEED Green Associate Plus, The Principles of Sustainable Design and The Real Estate Professionals Guide to Sales Associate with LEED® Certified Building & Sustainable Design has been approved from the New York State education department.

In conjunction with instructing several LEED courses Ms. Santoro has also written several preparatory books that coordinate with the LEED® reference guides. These preparatory books include: LEED Green Associate, LEED for Commercial Interiors: Interior Design (ID&C), and The LEED for New Construction (BD& C) V3. Irene Santoro is the founders and owner of Charles Anthony Interiors, LLC, a highly creative and diversified interior design company based out of New York and New Jersey. Irene and her team are known for their unique collaboration of design talent, experienced CAD renderers and dedicated craftsmanship. Irene Santoro has created a methodology called Allergy Free Design™ a holistic solution for those who suffer from seasonal or yearlong allergy symptoms. This is a home solution that provides customized design plans for each individual client based upon their specific needs.

Leadership in the Community
Her company Forever Green Training & Sustainable and Design Charles Anthony Interiors LLC are members of the U.S. Green Building Council, an AIA Providers and has been audited and approved for the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) LEED® exams. She consults in all aspects of green projects, from conception to construction providing project management for LEED® Certification, assuring her clients that all aspects of the job are implemented according to plan. Irene Santoro's primary focus when designing is to always protect the environment and improve the quality of life for each individual client. Ms. Santoro is an active member of Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC); this non-profit organization and its members thrive to enhance the economy in Staten Island by promoting investments and encouraging development projects to be carried out in an environmentally friendly manner. Irene Santoro is also involved with the Green and Clean Council in Staten Island.

Bruce Pollack (Director of Finance) During the past 37 years, Bruce has held senior level commercial real estate lending and appraisal positions with a number of institutional lenders. In addition, he has owned and operated Metropolitan Realty Solutions, a consulting firm, for the past 20 years. Bruce is highly experienced in the financing and valuation of all types of real estate. He has developed and implemented credit & appraisal policies, training manuals and seminars, and has lectured and been published often. Bruce holds BS and MBA degrees in finance and is a New York State Certified Real Estate General Appraiser, Licensed Real Estate Broker and Approved Real Estate Instructor. He was recently awarded the LEED^® Green Associate accreditation.

Alicia Cargo is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment with background knowledge in fundamentals of architecture design and building construction at the University of Florida.

Ms. Cargo is a sustainable design advocate studying and researching environmental practices that should be incorporated into all areas of urban and regional planning.  Ms Cargo also has several years of experience in architecture and interior design history, international sustainable development, social and cultural sustainability in the built environment and landscape site analysis.
 
She currently supervises a four multimillion dollar facilities, one of which is the first Low Impact Development facility on campus. Operating and supervising these facilities has allowed her a firsthand experience in the area of sustainable urban development.

Frank S. Aiello A.I.A. received his undergraduate from Florida A & M University in Architecture and his graduate degree from Florida State University in Urban & Regional Planning. As a registered architect, Mr. Aiello has compiled over twenty years of diverse corporate, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, multi-family residential and institutional experience in the construction and design industry.

During this period he has developed expertise ranging from new construction to retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing structures for alternative use. Mr. Aiello is responsible for assigning tasks and monitoring overall performance throughout project delivery and enforces his understanding of the importance of working within clearly defined budgets and scheduled time constraints. Mr. Aiello provides complete construction administration/management services.

This aspect of his responsibility includes design management within the architectural office and coordination with appropriate consultants, the preparation and monitoring of construction budget, preparing, and responding to RFI's, Mr. Aiello clients have included State of Florida Division of Architectural Services, US General Services Administration, RWJ Cardiologist Associates, and the New York City Department of Corrections.

Joseph R. Abate is a mechanical systems designer and consultant for energy efficient buildings. In addition to residential and commercial design he is Building Performance Institute certified (BPI) building analyst and a RESNET independent rater for Energy Star, a New Jersey State Licensed HHS Building Inspector, ICS Fire Inspector and 1&2 Family Mechanical Inspector. He also holds Construction Official and Building Subcode Official licenses, and currently obtaining a certification as a LEED^® associate, Originally trained in electronics and later appliance troubleshooting and repair He started and ran a Heating and Cooling contracting Company for approximately twenty Five Years and was a working Municipal Building Inspector for six years. He has recently formed a new Company with His Son Joseph J. Abate, Energy Abatement LLC, performing analysis of residential and commercial buildings for energy loss calculations and energy loss remediation.

Xavier S. Walter is an entrepreneur and father of three that began his new career in 2009. He spent over ten years in construction finance and lending industry after serving in the United States Navy. Graduating high school in 1995 from Lenape High School, he is happily married to Danielle Mason-Walter with whom he met in Kindergarten. Xavier is President of Home Energy Team NJ as a BPI Accredited Contractor, and Certified BPI Proctor serving Affiliates across the country. Xavier is actively conducting energy audits, air sealing, and whole home retrofits under the New Jersey Home Performance with Energy Star program. Working for the Home Energy Team he facilitates all aspects of business operations with a work load of three to six projects per day. Students and partners come from across the county to train with Xavier and his team. Enhancing the mission of the “Whole House Approach” through Energy Auditors and Energy Efficiency technicians. Xavier has worked with local Politicians, and as a board member on the Building Performance Contractors Association he is able to promote the local Green Jobs Market. A teacher with over 100 hours in classroom and field sessions, bringing real-world scenarios to other people interested in a new career. Xavier volunteers as a committee member for our local Relay For Life, My Three Roses Charity Events, and local fundraising opportunities.

Program Partners

Roman Titov is a LEED Green Associate and a graduate of the State University of New York at Farmingdale receiving a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management Engineering Technology with a Dual Major in Architectural Technology with Latin Honors. At this University, Roman received several honors and awards during the academic year of 2007. He has gained a multitude of professional experience in the construction realm that began with one of the top contractors a German based company, Foiltec, who are the pioneers of the innovative Texlon® climactic envelope. Roman Titov’s early experience following graduation includes AutoCAD operation and project management for Wolkow-Braker, a premier roofing contractor that exposed him to projects such as: The Freedom Tower, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. Roman’s experience as a Project Manager in the General Contracting field has allowed him to work on several high profile projects in the downtown Manhattan area such as Imagination Playground and the East River Waterfront Esplanade, both which included Mayor Bloomberg at the Grand Opening. He is currently a Project Manager for the Bushwick Inlet Park, a project in the bustling neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and is projected for a LEED® certification of Platinum.

Marilyn Urso has been a Licensed REALTOR for 18 years. She became a Broker in 1996 and currently owns her own realty firm on the north shore.  She is actively involved in listing both buyers and sellers on a day-to-day basis. Marilyn has earned many designations and certifications in her 18 years as a REALTOR including CRB, CRS, LTG, PMN, SRES, and Certified EcoBroker. She currently holds the GRI and GREEN designations as well as the e-PRO Certification from NAR. She attended the first CBR program offered here on Long Island in 1996 and works with many buyer clients in her real estate practice.

Marilyn attended the Instructor Training Institute in 2006 and began teaching for the Long Island Board of REALTORS in 2007.  She has been on the NYS Association of REALTORS Faculty since January, 2010.  She has written several of her own Green Real Estate classes and is certified to teach the NAR GREEN Designation and e-PRO Certification programs.  She was the first area instructor for this program at Triple Play in New Jersey in December of 2008. Marilyn has been training new agents in her company for years.  She specializes in listing systems and time management as well as all things Green. 

As a former e-PRO trainer for NAR, Marilyn is currently certified to teach the new e-PRO Certification program that was developed in 2010. Her background as a Systems Analyst has given her a technology edge in the real estate industry.  She specializes in the use of Social Media and technology in her business and in her classes, utilizing YouTube, the Internet, and FlipVideo’s to create unique and informative programs.