Patent Commissioner To Retire After Four-Decade Career
On Thursday, April 30, 2015, Margaret Focarino announced that she will be retiring this summer from her position as Commissioner for Patents for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after 38 years of being with the agency. Appointed to this position in January 2012, Focarino was the first woman to serve in this role. As commissioner, she is responsible for the management and direction of all patent-related aspects that affect the administration of patent operations, examination policy, resources and planning, and budget administration.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Michelle K. Lee issued a statement in response, calling Focarino “an inspiration," and further including, “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with her over the last several years, and congratulate her on an extremely successful career.”
