Jessica Franken

Director of Government Affairs, INDA, Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry

Jessica Franken, INDA's Director of Government Affairs, has more than 15 years of professional government relations/public policy experience that includes positions on Capitol Hill and many years of work with industry association clients including INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, as well as groups representing recycled textiles, pharmaceutical printing and healthcare packaging industries. In this capacity, Franken has acted as a primary policy liaison/advocate between clients and public officials on a diverse array of issues including the environment, product safety, trade, tax, healthcare, manufacturing, and labor/workplace policy. She serves as an appointed advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Industry Trade Advisory Committee for Textiles and Apparel (ITAC-13), is an active member in a number of textile industry and general business coalitions and is a frequent speaker on governmental issues of interest to her clients. She is a founding member of the Washington-based Alliance of Textile Professionals, a networking organization dedicated to connecting professionals involved in textiles/apparel, retail, sustainability and related arenas.

An accomplished writer, Jessica Franken has contributed to and authored more than 150 policy-themed articles for trade publications, and has developed numerous industry-adopted position papers and formal submissions to the U.S. government. She received a Master's degree in Public Policy from George Mason University's School of Public Policy, and was named the 2006 recipient of the university's coveted Alexis de Tocqueville Award for academic achievement and professionalism in the field of public policy. She earned her bachelor's degree in Government and Politics, graduating with honors from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1997.

Franken is the President of The Franken Group, LLC, a government affairs consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia offering services to multiple association and industry clients.

Government Affairs Update

It's 2016 and campaign season_also known as the "silly season" is in full swing in Washington, DC, meaning self-preservation focused politicians are finding it hard to take a stand on important policy matters. Despite this, certain policies impacting the nonwovens industry and the wipes sector are marching forward. INDA's Director of Government Affairs Jessica Franken will wade through it all, providing updates on familiar topics such as chemicals reform, a tariff bill impacting rayon and state implementation of the EPA rule affecting industrial wipes, as well as new information about the EPA's Safer Choice program, food safety laws, legislation affecting cosmetics/personal care items and more.