Jerry D. Klepner

Mr. Klepner, a Managing Director, is a specialist in health care, human services and labor relations issues who brings substantial expertise in Congressional and executive branch relations to Prime Policy Group.

Mr. Klepner joins Prime Policy from its predecessor firm, BKSH & Associates Worldwide. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Klepner was a senior vice president in the Washington, D.C. office of a major public relations firm. Before that, he served for three years as Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Donna Shalala. In this role, he was the Clinton administration’s principal advocate before Congress on health and human services initiatives, including health care funding, pharmaceutical pricing and Food and Drug Administration reform, insurance reform and Medicaid and Medicare and welfare reform. He also served as acting chief of staff and transition director for Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, and was a senior advisor for domestic policy to the Clinton-Gore transition team.

Before serving in the administration, Mr. Klepner was director of legislation for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest health care and public sector union in the nation, where he was responsible for developing legislative and public affairs strategies for Medicaid and Medicare, child care, unemployment benefits, civil rights, family and medical leave, rights of the disabled and labor-management issues. Prior to this, he directed the health care, retirement and compensation practice at the firm of Anderson, Benjamin, Read & Haney.

Between 1984 and 1986, Mr. Klepner served as staff director for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Compensation and Employee Benefits, where he was responsible for policies affecting compensation and benefit programs for more than six million employees and annuitants of the federal government.

Prior to joining Congress, he served for more than a decade as executive vice president and director of legislation and public affairs for the National Treasury Employees Union. There he managed legislative, public affairs and membership programs for the fastest growing union in the federal sector.

Mr. Klepner has earned perennial listings in “Who’s Who in America,” “Who’s Who in American Politics,” and “Who’s Who in Medicine.” He has served as a commissioner of the Virginia Statewide Health Coordinating Council, as a member of the board of directors of the Northern Virginia Health Systems Agency and as an advisor to the General Accounting Office. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Food Research Action Council.

Mr. Klepner graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also studied law. He has been an instructor and guest lecturer at The American University, The George Washington University, Syracuse University, the University of Texas and other noted institutions of higher learning.