From the President NARFE’S MISSION STATEMENT To support legislation and regulations beneficial to federal civilian employees and annuitants and potential annuitants under any federal civilian retirement system and to oppose those detrimental to their interests. To promote the general welfare of federal civilian employees and annuitants and potential annuitants, to advise and assist them with respect to their rights under retirement, health and other employee and retiree benefits laws and regulations, and to represent their interests before appropriate authorities. To cooperate with other organizations and associations in furtherance of these general objectives.
Advocacy and Membership
G
rassroots advocacy is a cornerstone of NARFE’s work on behalf of federal employees, retirees and their families.
One of the best ways to capture a legislator’s attention is to put your personal touch on the issues. No one else can truly drive home the importance of protecting the earned pay and benefits of federal workers who dedicated their life’s work to the civil service.
This summer has been an extraordinary one for NARFE’s advocacy efforts: • At LEGcon21 in June, NARFE’s grassroots advocates gained invaluable skills for building relationships with their lawmakers to advance NARFE’s legislative priorities in the 117th Congress and beyond. • During Grassroots Advocacy Month in August, NARFE members across the country mobilized to continue advocacy efforts during Capitol Hill’s summer recess. NARFE advocates were able to meet with lawmakers in person as well as online. As our summer of advocacy winds down, we now shift our focus to growing membership. Believe it or not, the two go hand in hand. Our efforts to preserve benefits, demand adequate pay for Feds,
4
NARFE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2021
repeal or reform the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, and more all depend on our members. As we kick off the Fall Membership Drive and you prepare to tell NARFE’s story to potential members, keep in mind that our advocacy success is worth sharing. Potential members want to know what NARFE can do for them. In addition to producing this award-winning magazine and providing a wealth of benefits information through the Federal Benefits Institute, we are an advocacy powerhouse for federal employees and retirees. As with advocacy, the key to recruiting success is making it personal— communicating what you value most about NARFE is fundamental to our campaign. I’d like to thank you for your hard work—as advocates and as membership recruiters. And as always, stay safe.
KENNETH J. THOMAS NARFE NATIONAL PRESIDENT natpres@narfe.org
