Harrisburg, PA – The former director of the Department of State’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations (BCCO) has earned a Governor’s Award for Excellence for reducing business licensing processing times in Pennsylvania from a high point of eight weeks to just one day.
Nicolas “Nic” Caputo Tellez, who was promoted to Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Department of General Services on June 22, led a comprehensive overhaul of the licensing process as BCCO’s director that significantly improved the business and non-profit communities’ experience with state government.
“Nic’s leadership, innovation, and dedication to public service have resulted in transformative improvements in efficiency, customer service, and collaboration at the Department of State,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said. “As a result, businesses can get to work sooner in Pennsylvania, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Department staff.”
In September 2025, Caputo was promoted to Senior Advisor to the Executive Deputy Secretary at the Department of State and assumed responsibility for performance management and process improvements across the agency. He partnered with the new Director of the Office of Notaries, Certificates and Licenses (ONCL) to streamline their application procedures, which quickly reduced their processing times from seven days to one day, matching the efficiency gains he achieved at BCCO.
To ensure the sustainability of these improvements, Caputo implemented a cross-training initiative between BCCO and ONCL, so both offices can maintain high service levels and short processing times during peak periods without having to rely on temporary staffing as in the past.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize state employees for exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation, and increased efficiency. Caputo is one of 83 employees from 17 agencies honored by Governor Shapiro for exceptional accomplishments in 2025.