Incumbents

Stephone B. Allen

Fellow Credit Union Members, I, Stephone B. Allen (Stevi) am a candidate for the Patent and Trademark Office Federal Credit Union Board of Directors (BOD). Shortly after becoming employed with the Patent Office in 1985, I became a member of the Patent and Trademark Federal Credit Union thus affording me 40+ years as a member in good standing of the Credit Union. In 2007 I became a member of the PTOFCU Board of Directors (BOD) and as a Board member have served in the capacities of Investment Committee Chairperson (4+ years), Loan Review Committee Chairperson (3 months) and Treasurer (13+ years). Serving in various capacities of the BOD has afforded me a working knowledge of the day-to-day needs and long-term goals of the Credit Union. This acquired knowledge has provided me an opportunity to broaden my experience and understanding of what is needed to keep a financial institution such as the PTOFCU efficient and sound. As a dedicated and committed member of the Board of Directors I am interested in continuing to work towards guiding and helping the Credit Union with its continued growth while remaining strong and competitive with other financial institutions in the years ahead.

Thomas Beach

Thomas is currently the Associate Director of Data Governance at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on detail with Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and acting Deputy Director. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and expertise as an acting Deputy and in deploying agency-wide unified information and data governance initiatives in collaboration with FDA Centers and offices. With over 10 years of experience, he has driven the adoption and implementation of data governance practices for data-intensive applications, including AI/ML, during his tenure as Chief Data Officer (CDO) at the Department of Commerce and Chief Data Strategy Officer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Thomas was also a key contributor to the development of the Federal Data Strategy, supporting the Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal: Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset, as part of the President’s Management Agenda. Additionally, he led USPTO’s efforts on the Cancer Moonshot Task Force Data Working Group, encouraging external teams to utilize patent data in innovative ways through challenges that advanced the understanding of the connections between cancer research, inventions, and commercialized therapies.

Thomas holds a degree in Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and earned his Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Zinna Northington Davis

Ms. Northington Davis has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Virginia State University and a Master of Science in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is also a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Ms. Northington Davis has recently retired from the federal government with over 42 years of continuous service. She is a recipient of the following Career Achievement Awards: Bronze Medal, Exceptional, and Distinguished Awards at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Ms. Northington Davis has worked for USPTO as a Patent Examiner for 39 years, including details with the Office of Patent Information Management, the Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Office, and the Research & Development (R&D) Unit.

Ms. Northington Davis has served as a volunteer of the PTOFCU for many years. She has served as Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Chair of Annual Meeting, Membership, Loan Review, Delinquency, ALCO and Supervisory Committees. Her experience and skills are well-suited to serving on the Board of Directors of the Patent and Trademark Office Federal Credit Union.

Lynne A. Gurley

As a native Washingtonian and a dedicated professional leader with 33 years of experience at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Ms. Gurley combines deep technical expertise with a lifelong commitment to service. As a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE), she has spent over two decades managing large dockets and leading teams to achieve rigorous operational goals, receiving multiple awards for production, quality, and leadership, including Bronze Medal (both group and individual), reflecting a foundation built on integrity, mentorship, and sustained excellence. She also served as an Advisor to the Office of the Commissioner for Patents and as a Trainer to the Patent Training Academy. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the PTOFCU Board of Directors and the Chair of the Delinquency Committee and has also served as Chair of the 2024 Annual Meeting, Assistant Secretary of the Board of Directors, and Secretary of the Supervisory Committee.

Ms. Gurley’s governance acumen is complemented by her 33-year tenure as a member of the PTOFCU. Her contributions to the credit union’s strategic and succession planning and charter updates, alongside her leadership on the Delinquency Committee highlight her dedication to fiscal responsibility and long-term institutional stability. Outside of her executive roles, she is recognized for her volunteer work in adult literacy, scholarship fundraising, and as a dedicated protector of the elderly. She has previous experience serving as a licensed realtor and as a Notary Public for the District of Columbia. She leads a voluntary collection of donations to show appreciation for hard-working USPTO administrative staff for 20 years. Ms. Gurley was invited to join the exclusive Bank of America Advisory Panel to help the bank learn about opportunities to improve. Sallie Mae asked to interview her for being one of very few students to repay their college student loans in-full. She is also a member of Who’s Who in Music. Ms. Gurley’s experience, skillset and leadership make her uniquely qualified and positioned to serve on the PTOFCU Board of Directors and she considers it an honor to continue to represent the PTOFCU and its members.

Ms. Gurley holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in the College of Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and completed the USPTO Juris Master Certificate Program (JMCP) from George Washington University (GWU).

Alicia Harrington