Deborah Stephens is the new acting chief information officer (CIO) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) following the departure of former CIO Jamie Holcombe earlier this week.
Previously, Stephens served as the deputy CIO at the USPTO since 2019. In this role, she served as the principal advisor to the CIO and managed day-to-day operations of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).
As CIO, “she is the principal advisor to the agency on the design, development, and management of its information systems and technology,” according to the USPTO’s website.
“As a leader passionate about technology and driving change, her teams deliver IT products and services to serve global stakeholders efficiently. As DCIO, she led an organizational transformation toward a product approach for enterprise IT delivery,” the USPTO said.
Before joining the OCIO, Stephens served as the associate commissioner for the Office of Patent Information Management, where she provided strategic leadership and oversight to improve and enhance the electronic processing of patent applications.
Stephens steps into the role after Holcombe retired from Federal service on Wednesday, after six and a half years as CIO.
Holcombe announced on Thursday that he has joined US AI, a Maryland-based technology company, as vice president.
“I’ve spent my career leading bold transformations – not for the sake of innovation, but for public service, mission clarity, and systems that hold under scrutiny,” Holcombe said in an Aug. 7 LinkedIn post. “Now I’m bringing that mindset to scale US AI’s platform across the federal landscape – to help agencies build AI they can explain, trust, and defend.”