#381 Richard G. Thissen, President, and Jessica Klement, Staff Vice President for Advocacy, of the National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association

Richard G. Thissen is the NARFE National President. Prior to being elected in August 2014, Thissen served as NARFE National Treasurer, a post he had held since 2011.
Thissen spent 27 years in federal service as a civilian employed for the Army. He was an Army level career program manager from 1989 to 1995 and served as personnel manager for some 700 civilians stationed worldwide. He has an extensive background in employee and retiree benefits and regulations.
He has been a NARFE member since 1995, following his retirement from federal service. He has held a number of positions at the chapter and federation levels, including serving as president of the Missouri Federation. He was elected Region V Regional Vice President in 2002.

Jessica Klement is the NARFE Staff Vice President, Advocacy. She is responsible for carrying out the legislative, grassroots and political strategies of one of the nation’s largest federal employee and retiree organization. As the association’s chief lobbyist, she is responsible for taking NARFE members’ concerns to Congress.
Prior to joining NARFE, Klement served as the Government and Public Affairs Director at the Federal Managers Association, a membership organization representing the interests of the over 200,000 managers and supervisors in the federal government.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the earned pay, retirement and health care benefits of federal employees, retirees and their survivors.