February 22, 2005
#05-15

Press Release, 05-15

USPTO Adds Key Member to Management Team

PRESS RELEASE

Agency’s Chief Information Officer Sworn In

Jon Dudas, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the Commerce Department’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), today administered the oath of office to David J. Freeland, the USPTO’s new Chief Information Officer.

“I am delighted to welcome David Freeland to our senior management team,” Under Secretary Dudas said. “The position of Chief Information Officer is vital to meeting the major goals of our 21st Century Strategic Plan—effectively using electronic tools to support the processing of high quality and timely patents and trademarks. I am confident that David has the experience and leadership we need to realize our objectives.”

Freeland has over 25 years of information technology (IT) experience, and most recently was the deputy commissioner for management information systems with the Texas Department of Human Services. As the deputy commissioner, Freeland led one of the largest IT organizations in the state of Texas. He supervised more than 600 employees charged with supporting over 300 agencies and private organizations located in over 1,000 sites across the state. He also had oversight responsibility for more than 700 IT maintenance and new development projects each year, with approximately 75 of them major projects.

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