Jerry 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 BKSH & Associates. Prior to joining the company, 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. 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.