PATENTS DASHBOARD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Acting Commissioner for Patents
The Acting Commissioner for Patents manages and leads the Patents organization as its chief operating officer.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity
Bismarck Myrick became the Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity (formerly: the Office Civil Rights) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Acting Chief Communications Officer of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
The acting Chief Communications Officer is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic communications for the USPTO in coordination with the U.S...
Cara Duckworth is the Acting Chief Communications Officer of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic communications for the USPTO in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House, and she supports and advises the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO.
Ms. Duckworth's permanent role is Chief Corporate Communications Officer, where she directs a team of communications, education, and outreach professionals focused on promoting the agency's goals and objectives. She also oversees the USPTO's partnership with the National Inventors Hall of Fame and management of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, which is issued annually by the White House.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Ms. Duckworth served as Vice President of Communications at the Association of American Publishers where she helped manage the day-to-day operations of communications department for the trade organization representing the $25 billion U.S. book publishing industry. Previously, Ms. Duckworth served as the Senior Vice President of Communications at the Recording Industry Association of America and as Director of Communications at the Motion Picture Association.
An experienced communications veteran of the creative industries and a modern-day storyteller, Ms. Duckworth's broad skillset includes media relations, public speaking, social media expertise, stand-up comedy and theatre acting. She has been at the forefront of many innovative and groundbreaking campaigns that have helped define the transitions of the music and movie industries to the digital age.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Acting Chief of Staff for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
Cordelia (Dede) Zecher is the Acting Chief of Staff for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), supporting the Office of the Under Secretary and the USPTO on a wide variety of policy and operational matters.
Ms. Zecher previously served as Special Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. In this role she advised the Director and other USPTO executives on patent matters.
Ms. Zecher has been employed by the USPTO in various capacities over the past 14 years. She has worked as a patent examiner, primary patent examiner, supervisory patent examiner, and senior advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations.
While at the USPTO, Ms. Zecher has led or contributed to numerous projects, such as the Patents Training at Headquarters event which was established in 2015 in order enhance communication, collaboration and connection within the remotely connected work staff. In her role as senior advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations she collaborated and contributed on many projects impacting patent operations, including the changes to examination time, application routing, and utility examiner performance appraisal plan, as well as the USPTO's 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance. She has received two distinct Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Awards.
Ms. Zecher received a Bachelor of Science in both Computer Science and Math from Vanderbilt University.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office
As the Regional Director of the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since September 2018, Damian Porcari carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO while leading the Midwest regional office in Detroit. By focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Mr. Porcari ensures the USPTO's initiatives and programs are tailored to the region's unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.
From 1989 to 2017, Mr. Porcari worked for Ford Global Technologies LLC (FGTL) in Dearborn, Michigan, serving as its Director of Licensing and Enforcement from 2005 to 2017. In this role, he was responsible for protecting and monetizing Ford's IP across the globe through licensing and litigation. Mr. Porcari also served as FGTL's Director of Technology Commercialization, where he led a team to develop marketing strategies and oversee licensing of the company's technologies. He also served as a Senior Patent Attorney for the U.S. Army Tank-automotive Command in Warren, Michigan, from 1984 to 1989.
Mr. Porcari is a named inventor on five U.S. patents. He was born and raised in Detroit, where he attended Detroit Public Schools. A steadfast supporter of STEM initiatives in the region, Mr. Porcari has volunteered at Detroit-area Camp Invention programs for over 20 years. He received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Executive Biographies
David L. Berdan is performing the functions and duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), supporting the Office of the Under Secretary and the USPTO on a wide variety of legal, policy, and operational matters.
Mr. Berdan's permanent role is as USPTO's General Counsel. As General Counsel, he serves as the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. Mr. Berdan also supervises the Office of General Counsel and its three component offices: the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of General Law, and the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.
Mr. Berdan is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering and co-captained the Army football team as a defensive back. He is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including a Bronze Star. Mr. Berdan has a Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School, where he was a founding member and President of the Drake Intellectual Property Law Society.
Over the past 26 years, Mr. Berdan has served in a variety of important legal positions, including as Patent Counsel at Corning, Inc., as Vice President and Intellectual Property Counsel at The Coleman Company, as Chief Counsel Intellectual Property at INVISTA, as Vice President Legal and Deputy General Counsel at International Game Technology, and, most recently, as General Counsel and Compliance Officer of Gaming Arts. Mr. Berdan also spent two years as an engineer and seven years in private law practice.
Job Titles:
- Lead Patent Trial and Appeal Board Judge
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Officer
- Commissioner for Trademarks at the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Commissioner for Trademarks at the USPTO
- Executive Biographies
- Member of the State Bar of California
David S. Gooder is the Commissioner for Trademarks at the USPTO and serves as the primary agency official for trademarks, domestically and internationally, and is...
David S. Gooder is the Commissioner for Trademarks at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Commissioner serves as the primary agency official for trademarks, domestically and internationally, and is responsible for all aspects of the Trademarks organization, including policy, operations, and budget relating to trademark examination, registration, and maintenance.
Mr. Gooder has worked for more than 25 years on intellectual property and brand-protection challenges facing iconic global brands, notably in the distilled spirits and wine industries. Prior to joining the USPTO, he served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Trademark Counsel at Jack Daniel's Properties. Additionally, he was the Chief Trademark Counsel for Brown-Forman Corporation, which owns over 30 distilled spirits and wine brands. In that position, Mr. Gooder directed the company's global intellectual property work, including its large trademark portfolio, rights clearance, brand protection (including anti-counterfeiting), licensing, and entertainment deals for the brands. Before that, Mr. Gooder practiced trademark, copyright, and entertainment law at Graham & James in Los Angeles and Luce Forward in San Diego.
Mr. Gooder has been an officer and served two terms on the Board of Directors for the International Trademark Association (INTA). He has also served as Chairman of the INTA Foundation. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Gooder was a drummer and a video and music director. He is also an Eagle Scout.
Mr. Gooder is a member of the State Bar of California. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona College of Law.
Job Titles:
- Regional Outreach Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Commissioner for Patents
- Executive Biographies
Drew Hirshfeld is performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Job Titles:
- Eastern Regional Outreach Director
- Member of the Virginia Bar
As the Eastern Regional Outreach Director for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Elizabeth Dougherty carries out the strategic direction of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for leading the USPTO's East Coast stakeholder engagement. Focusing on the region and actively engaging with the community, Ms. Dougherty ensures the USPTO's initiatives and programs are tailored to the region's unique ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.
Ms. Dougherty has more than 25 years of experience working at the USPTO. She served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. In this role, she worked closely across the Agency's leadership to implement the policies and priorities for the USPTO. She began her career at the USPTO as a patent examiner after graduating from The Catholic University of America with a bachelor's degree in physics. While a patent examiner, Ms. Dougherty went on to obtain her J.D. from The Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America and served as a Senior Legal Advisor in the Office of Patent Legal Administration for a significant part of her career. Over the years, she has also served in the USPTO's Office of Petitions, the Office of Innovation Development, and the Office of Government Affairs.
Ms. Dougherty has dedicated much of her career to the USPTO's outreach and education programs focusing on small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. In this effort she has developed, implemented, and supervised programs that support the independent inventor community, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the intellectual property interests of colleges and universities. Similarly Ms. Dougherty has spearheaded a number of special projects with federal, state and local governments, and private organizations to promote and support invention and innovation in the United States.
Ms. Dougherty is a member of the Virginia Bar, the Giles S. Rich American Inn of Court, the Pauline Newman American Inn of Court, the American Bar Association, the Federal Circuit Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Patent and Trademark Office Society, the Supervisory Patent Examiners and Classifiers Organization, Women in Science and Engineering, Federally Employed Women, and the Network of Executive Women.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs
- Is Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs at the USPTO
Ellen McLaren is Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs at the USPTO.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
Fred Steckler is the Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He is responsible for the delivery of all administrative service...
Mr. Steckler joined USPTO from the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, where he served as an Executive Advisor in the Organization and Strategy Team's Human Capital and Learning Practice. Prior to Booz Allen, he was the Director of Account Development and Management for the Government Consulting Services Unit of Watson Wyatt Worldwide. Before Watson Wyatt, Mr. Steckler served as the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration and Deputy Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition to HUD, he has held consulting and business operations positions with IBM and Coopers & Lybrand. Mr. Steckler also served as the Executive Director of Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry, a non-profit community service organization in Northern Virginia.
Mr. Steckler began his career as a shipboard officer in the U.S. Navy and was a member of the commissioning crew of the USS Vandegrift (FFG-48). He later served as Second Company Officer and then Executive Assistant to The Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy.
Mr. Steckler received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Lead Patent Trial and Appeal Board Judge
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Administrative Trademark Judge
- Executive Biographies
The TTAB Chief Judge reports directly to the Office of the Under Secretary and Director of the USPTO, and is responsible for all ongoing operations of the TTAB, as well...
Gerard Rogers is the Chief Administrative Trademark Judge of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). He was appointed to the position in November 2010 after serving a year as Acting Chief Judge.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Information Officer ( CIO ) for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
Henry (Jamie) Holcombe is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this role, he is the principal advisor to the agency on the design, development, and management of its information systems and technology.
Most recently, Mr. Holcombe served as the Chief Executive Officer of Visium Technologies, a cybersecurity startup, and Chief Operations Officer for TJ Westlake LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. Prior to these executive roles, he served as the Vice President and General Manager for Harris CapRock Critical Networks segment, providing managed security services supporting air traffic management, energy and maritime communications, ground network operations and sustainment, and high-value IT and engineering cyber services.
At Harris CapRock, Mr. Holcombe led the company's Government Solutions line of business to deliver operational excellence and growth. Previously, he had served as Harris' Vice President of Information Technology for Global Systems and Process, and as IT Services' Director of Civil Programs and Commercial Accounts, as well as Client Executive to the U.S. Department of State.
Mr. Holcombe has also served in a variety of executive level positions at various firms, including as Vice President of Information Systems for the Universal Service Administrative Company; as Chief Technology Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations, and Corporate Secretary for Globix; and as Chief Information Officer of Cambrian Communications. He has also been an Architect and Senior Principal Consultant to companies in telecommunications, entertainment, and insurance.
Mr. Holcombe began his career as an officer in the U.S. Army where he served as company commander in the 1116th Signal Battalion and was awarded both the Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award and Most Outstanding Officer of the Year. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree, finishing first in his class in computer science. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in information systems from Chaminade University in Honolulu, and a Master of Science degree in computer science from George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Texas Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office
As the Regional Director of the Texas Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Hope Shimabuku carries out the strategic direction of the Under...
Job Titles:
- Assistant Regional Director
Job Titles:
- Assistant Regional Director
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
Jay Hoffman is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). As CFO, Mr. Hoffman is the principal advisor to the USPTO Director in supporting and improving the accounting, budgeting, planning, contracting, and organizational performance systems of the USPTO. His responsibilities include managing the fiscal operations of the USPTO and providing leadership in areas defined by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and other legislation designed to improve integrity in federal financial management. Mr. Hoffman oversees an annual budget exceeding $3 billion.
Mr. Hoffman has more than 22 years of federal financial management experience, including more than 15 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES). He has work experience at two cabinet-level federal agencies and an independent commission where he has led efforts for the U.S. government in support of major national goals including health and safety, energy technology, and economic recovery.
Mr. Hoffman previously served as the CFO for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for eight years where he was the principal adviser to the CPSC Chairman on all aspects of financial management. Prior to joining the CPSC, Mr. Hoffman served as the Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation at the Department of Energy for six years and was the Department's first Performance Improvement Officer. He spent seven years at the Department of Treasury serving in a number of roles, including at the United States Mint, where he was the Budget and Planning Director.
Mr. Hoffman is a recipient of the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award given annually by the President to no more than 5% of the federal government's SES in recognition of "sustained extraordinary accomplishment" throughout their executive tenure.
Mr. Hoffman has a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University. He is also a former Presidential Management Fellow and has attained a Certified Government Financial Manager certification by the Association of Government Accountants.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the USPTO
Mary Critharis is the Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the USPTO. In that position, she serves as a policy advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and oversees the USPTO's domestic and international IP policy activities; legislative engagement, through the Office of Governmental Affairs; education and training, through the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA); global advocacy, through the IP Attaché Program; and economic analysis, through the Office of the Chief Economist.
Ms. Critharis first joined the USPTO as a patent examiner in 1992 before progressing to Assistant Solicitor in 2000. From 2001 to 2002, she served as Counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee before returning to the USPTO as Attorney Advisor (2002-2004) and Senior Patent Counsel (2004-2011). Most recently, Ms. Critharis served as Deputy Chief Policy Officer and Senior Counsel.
Ms. Critharis has lectured worldwide on a variety of industrial property issues, focusing on patenting emerging technologies. She is the recipient of the 2008 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional for her demonstrated leadership in advancing the intellectual property interests of American enterprises in the global economy.
Ms. Critharis received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School, where she was the executive editor of the international law journal. Ms. Critharis also has an MS in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and an MS in physical chemistry from New York University, where she studied the effects of stereochemistry on carcinogenicity. Prior to graduate school, Ms. Critharis received her BA in chemistry and political science from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office
As the Regional Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), since January 2016, Mollybeth (Molly) Kocialski carries out the...
Job Titles:
- Library - Auburn / Birmingham Public Library - Birmingham
Job Titles:
- Regional Outreach Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Chief Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
The Chief Judge leads the PTAB as it conducts post-grant trials and as it hears appeals from adverse examiner decisions in patent applications and reexamination...
Scott R. Boalick is the Chief Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In this role, he leads the PTAB as it conducts post-grant trials, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, covered business method patent reviews and derivation proceedings, and as it hears appeals from adverse examiner decisions in patent applications and reexamination proceedings.
Chief Judge Boalick was appointed to the Board in 2007. Prior to becoming the Chief Judge, he served as the acting Chief Judge, and before that as an Administrative Patent Judge, Lead Judge, Vice Chief Judge, and Deputy Chief Judge.
Before joining the USPTO, Mr. Boalick served as a patent attorney with the Department of the Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Laboratory. In these roles, he advised clients concerning a wide range of intellectual property issues, including patent, trademark, copyright, technology transfer, administrative claims, and rights in technical data and computer software. He prepared and prosecuted patent applications and assisted the Invention Evaluation Board to select and prioritize inventions for patenting. Before that, he practiced with Fish & Richardson in Washington, D.C., where he counseled clients on all aspects of protecting intellectual property, including patent acquisition, portfolio management, and litigation. He litigated claims of patent infringement in the International Trade Commission, district court, and the Federal Circuit, and also prepared and prosecuted numerous patent applications in a variety of technology areas. Prior to his time at Fish & Richardson, Mr. Boalick served as a law clerk to the Hon. Alvin A. Schall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Mr. Boalick began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving as a division officer on the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) and as an instructor at the Surface Warfare Officer School. After his active duty service, he worked as a radar systems engineer at Technology Service Corporation.
Job Titles:
- Lead Patent Trial and Appeal Board Judge
Job Titles:
- Acting Director of the Silicon Valley United States Patent and Trademark Office
As the Acting Regional Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Silicon Valley Regional Office, Steve Koziol carries out the strategic direction...
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Acting General Counsel for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Executive Biographies
The General Counsel for the USPTO serves as the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO.
Will Covey is the Acting General Counsel for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He serves as the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. Mr. Covey also supervises the Office of General Counsel and its three component offices: the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of General Law, and the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.
In his permanent role as Deputy General Counsel and Director for the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED), Mr. Covey is responsible for ensuring that the nation's patent attorneys and agents are of good moral character and sufficiently knowledgeable to practice before the USPTO. Mr. Covey's team of attorneys and other professionals develops and administers a registration examination designed to measure an applicant's knowledge of patent law and practice. Successful applicants are registered to practice by OED. In addition, OED investigates complaints of unethical conduct made against individuals practicing patent or trademark law before the USPTO.
Mr. Covey has held a number of key positions at the USPTO, including Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for the Office of General Law. Mr. Covey was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2007.
Mr. Covey received his undergraduate degree from Fordham University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and earned his J.D. from Fordham University Law School in 1991. He graduated from Harvard University's JFK School of Government (Senior Executive Fellowship) in 2005 and the U.S. Army War College with an M.S. in Strategic Studies in 2010.
Prior to joining the USPTO in 2000, Mr. Covey was a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He also served on active duty in the Pentagon, and was a senior officer in the Army Reserve assigned to the Office of the Army Staff, Office of the Judge Advocate General. He completed combat tours in Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2011) and served as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Covey retired from the Army in February 2022.