Acting Director Teresa Rea Leaves the USPTO

Teresa Rea

On February 17, 2011, Teresa Stanek Rea was announced as the new Deputy Director at the USPTO. Yesterday Teresa Rea, who is now the Acting Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, announced that she will be leaving the Office, ending speculation that she may be announced as the next Director of the Patent Office.

Now the wait continues for the announcement of a new Director, which could come at any time. I have been hearing rumors about who it may be, but at this time I’m not ready to publicly speculate. There seems to be a political candidate with ties to the tech industry that has risen to the top of the Obama White House list.

Upon joining the USPTO, Rea, who is known both inside and outside the Office as “Terry,” took the mantle of U.S. government employee with the longest title; Rea’s full title prior to becoming Acting Director was Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Terry is no stranger to the intellectual property world, and she will undoubtedly be coveted by firms and corporations alike as she re-enters the private sector. She is a former President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), and a long time patent practitioner who is highly regarding in the intellectual property community.

Rea’s e-mail to employees was brief and read:

Dear Colleagues,

It has been a tremendous honor and a true pleasure to serve with you as Deputy Director and Acting Director of the USPTO, America’s own “innovation agency.”  It is with deep appreciation and gratitude that I inform you that I have decided to leave the agency in the near future.

I joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office in March of 2011 as Deputy Director and have been privileged to serve at an historic time for this agency. As deputy to Dave Kappos, I was fortunate enough to participate in our agency’s implementation of historic patent reforms, as well as ongoing efforts to modernize our entire way of serving and engaging our stakeholders and the public in all areas of our operations.

Our senior leadership team has exercised true vision in ensuring we set the standard for excellence in government and empowering all of you to continue to do the incredible work that you do. That dedication is reflected in our rapid rise in the rankings of one of the top places to work in the federal government. It is my anticipation that we will soon welcome a new Director who will continue guiding the excellent work of the agency. Until then, I will do everything I can to ensure a smooth transition.

Thank you for the privilege of serving with you.

Teresa Stanek Rea

Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property & Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Stay tuned!

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2 comments so far.

  • [Avatar for Bruce Burdick]
    Bruce Burdick
    September 17, 2013 12:45 pm

    Rumor is IBM (aka “the tech industry”) has in mind a new and even more subservient proxy.

  • [Avatar for Paol Cole]
    Paol Cole
    September 16, 2013 06:07 am

    Dave and Terry are a hard act to follow!

    All best wishes to Terry for the future.