Thank You, USPTO

The USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, VA

Today is my last day with the USPTO.

After nearly a decade, it’s hard to fathom leaving a place that has come to feel like home. The dedication and collaborative spirit was evident from the moment I arrived. As I grew my career I am thankful for the triumphs, the challenges, and mostly for being surrounded by so many talented people who worked tirelessly and were dedicated to our mission of promoting American innovation.

A special thank you to the folks in the Office of Communication.

- Agency Press Secretary Paul Fucito whose mentorship helped pave the way for my longterm success. Thank you for your wisdom, humor, and ability to always put things into their proper perspective. 
-Thank you Matthew Palumbo, Philippa Olsen, Eric Atkisson, Laura Larrimore, and Jeff Isaacs for your friendship and making work fun no matter what we faced.

This is definitely bittersweet. I'm excited about my next move, but I will greatly miss working with each of you. I will look back on this time with extreme gratitude.

As I was watching Last Week Tonight's return to HBO Max following a three month hiatus, I was amused by John Oliver's playful take on the USPTO. I can attest having seen things from myriad perspectives that the approval process for both patents and trademarks is complex and nuanced, and I am proud to have played a part in protecting and promoting the value of intellectual property during my tenure at such a wonderful agency.

And now, This:

Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote

“People with disabilities have been left out of civic life for so long,” Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability says, “If we don’t see them in our schools, in our communities, in our workplaces, it only reinforces a lack of understanding and the implicit bias that leads to microaggressions.”
Alex Janin, The Wall Street Journal

As companies encourage a return to the office, it is important to remember that people with disabilities are at risk for being left out of the conversation. Many are still unable to safely engage in an office environment for medical reasons. The pandemic helped normalize work from home protocols and accommodations which were previously a struggle. Now, with those same accommodations seemingly rolling backward in favor of a return to “normalcy” many are having to choose between their health and safety and workplace visibility, effectively risking becoming second-class citizens in their own jobs.

There have been numerous times in my own career where an office environment was not always the most welcoming. I’ve often dealt with disparaging comments, micro-aggressions, and the all too often unsolicited advice/commentary that accompanies being disabled. Non-disabled colleagues often feel they have a right to not only to our medical history but to freely dispense advice about how to handle it. It is not only demeaning, but presumptuous, and extremely harmful. As a near daily occurrence, this can be exhausting. Most non-disabled folks wouldn’t think twice about preserving the privacy around most other discussions concerning health, yet disability seems to be its own designated category, unworthy of such discretion and privacy.

An office environment certainly does have its place and benefits when it comes to fostering collaboration. I am all for those things and support them when they can be done safely for all. But we are not there yet. We have also demonstrated over the course of the pandemic that many disabled employees benefit from accommodations and that no workplace hardship is created in doing so.

We should not be penalizing anybody (directly or otherwise) who chooses to work from home for the safety of their own mental and physical health.

Some Minority Workers, Tired of Workplace Slights, Say They Prefer Staying Remote