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“The USPTO Executive Team is filling up with familiar leaders who are expected to be supportive of a pro-patent agenda, which is consistent with the ideological and philosophical preferences of incoming Secretary Lutnick.”

USPTO Executive TeamHoward Lutnick, who is President Trump’s pick to become the next Secretary of Commerce, cleared a key hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, February 13, with the Senate voting 52-45 to invoke cloture. This means Lutnick will indeed soon be confirmed by the Senate to be the next Secretary of Commerce.

IPWatchdog has also reported that Coke Stewart was appointed Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which then immediately put her into the role of Acting Director. And we have similarly reported that Valencia Martin Wallace has been tapped to become Acting Commissioner for Patents after now former Commissioner for Patents Vaishali Udupa resigned, electing to take advantage of the deferred resignation program offered federal employees by President Trump. But more quietly, the USPTO Executive Team is filling up with familiar leaders who are expected to be supportive of a pro-patent agenda, which is consistent with the ideological and philosophical preferences of incoming Secretary Lutnick, who himself is a prolific inventor who has made millions of dollars with his inventions, but also has felt the sting of patent eligibility chaos.

We have learned that Janet Gongola has become the Acting Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at the USPTO. Whether she will eventually become the CCO remains to be seen, but Gongola has repeatedly through her career with the agency been placed in important communications and engagement-related roles.

Gongola, who previously served as Vice Chief Judge for Strategy at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board from 2016 to 2025, will now manage a team responsible for development and implementation of the USPTO’s strategic communications in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House. In addition, she will support and advise the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO. Prior to joining the PTAB, Gongola served as a Senior Advisor for Law and Policy in the Office of the Director from 2014 to 2016, Associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy from 2012 to 2014, the Patent Reform Coordinator for implementation of the America Invents Act from 2011 to 2012. Gongola started her USPTO career in 2006 as an Associate Solicitor in the Office of the Solicitor.

While some in the inventor and patent owner communities may try to dismiss Gongola or view her negatively given her service on the PTAB and with the America Invents Act (AIA), that would be a mistake. Yes, Gongola has served in a variety of roles at the USPTO, and it is true that inventors and patent owners often have a dim view of the PTAB and of the AIA, but Gongola is an effective communicator who through her experience is well positioned to promote what is widely believed will be a pro-patent agenda pursued by the Commerce Department during President Trump’s second term.

Another new face at the USPTO is Christopher Shipp, who is returning to the USPTO after serving in various senior executive capacities during the first Trump Administration under then-Director Andrei Iancu. Shipp is now the Chief of Staff for the USPTO, which means he is the Director’s principal advisor. He will advise the Director on budget, policies, priorities, and global communications of President Trump’s intellectual property agenda. He will also serve on the USPTO’s Executive Committee, and he will manage the day-to-day policy coordination process with the White House, the Department of Commerce, and other federal agencies.

Shipp, a 2024 Republican National Committee Platform Member, and a Platform Committee Whip, has also held multiple positions with the Montana Republican Party, serving as Executive Director and Communications Director over the course of three election cycles.

https://ipwatchdog.com/2025/02/16/trump-administrations-uspto-executive-team-taking-shape/id=186071/