96-01          
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Richard Maulsby         PTO Administrator Named         
          (703)305-8341           Outstanding Financial           
                                  Executive
            


Bradford R. Huther, associate commissioner and chief financial 

officer of the Commerce Department's Patent and Trademark Office, 

has been named the outstanding financial executive in the Federal 

Government by the Association of Government Accountants.

Huther received the prestigious Elmer Staats award for "leading
the transformation of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO)into a
financially self-sufficient organization on the cutting edge of
change in personnel management practices, customer relations,
business process reengineering and organizational streamlining."

"Brad has been an invaluable member of the PTO team for many
years. His fiscal sense and management ability has been a key
factor in the many successes we have enjoyed at the PTO," said
Bruce A. Lehman, assistant secretary of Commerce and Commissioner
of Patent and Trademarks.

Huther began his Federal career as an intern at the Commerce
Department in 1965.  He came to the PTO in 1967 where he directed
the patent examiner recruiting program before managing the
personnel operations.  During the 1970's, he administered one of
the Department of Commerce's most diversified public service
operations, which included an innovative technology forecasting
and world-wide information dissemination program.  As Assistant
Commissioner for Finance and Planning in the 1980's, Huther
coordinated the PTO's human resource, budget, strategic planning
and automation programs. Since 1994, he has served as Associate
Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer.


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January 19, 1996