CCIA also asked the new administration to designate an undersecretary for intellectual property who can address the broad challenges in innovation policy facing the nation. "We need someone who is a visionary, as well as a manager and a diplomat," Black said. The PTO can be important to making innovation work, but it needs to be connected to broader thinking about innovation and concerned with results, not just churning out patents, he said in a press release. In addition, CCIA has advocated for an independent Institute for Innovation Economics and Patent Policy to provide evidence-based analysis -- a key element to making the system work for all. Obama's picks for Commerce secretary and PTO director have not been unveiled but buzz is building about Symantec CEO John Thompson for a Cabinet post.