Partnership for Public Service adds former fed to its board

David Kappos directed U.S. Patent and Trademark Office until February

revolving door

David Kappos, former director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, is the latest ex-federal executive to join the Partnership for Public Service’s board of directors.

A former Commerce Department official has been named to the Partnership for Public Service’s board of directors.

David Kappos served as undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from August 2009 until February 2013. Before joining the public sector, he spent 26 years at IBM as vice president and assistant general counsel for intellectual property. He is currently a partner at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. “Dave is an innovator, and we’re thrilled that he is lending his management and leadership expertise to our government reform efforts,” said Max Stier, president and CEO at the partnership. “He’s a great addition to the Partnership for Public Service board of directors.” Kappos won’t be the only former fed on the board. Stier worked previously in all three branches of the federal government. His most recent role was at the Housing and Urban Development Department.

Other board members with government background include:

  • Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, most recently served as Deepwater Horizon national incident commander.
  • Tom Davis, director of federal government affairs at Deloitte, is a former Virginia congressman and chaired the House Government Reform Committee.
  • Peter Orszag, financial strategies and solutions group and vice chairman of global banking at Citigroup, Inc., left his role as Office of Management and Budget director in July 2010.
  • Nancy Killefer, director at McKinsey & Company, served as assistant secretary for management, CFO and COO at the Treasury Department from 1997 to 2000.
  • Sean O’Keefe, chairman and CEO at EADS North America, served four times as a presidential appointee, most recently as NASA administrator.