John Maheras
Senior Vice President

John Maheras joined Direct Impact in 2008 after serving as director of government affairs for Altria Corporate Services. He is a seasoned veteran with a long and successful career in grassroots and government affairs.

For the past 10 years, he has worked for various units of the Altria corporate family, including Kraft Foods, Philip Morris USA and Miller Beer. During his tenure, he managed grasstops and grassroots programs; worked closely with state and federal government affairs, policy and business organizations as well as held leadership roles in numerous trade associations; orchestrated employee mobilizations; oversaw coalition development; and managed charitable trust in support of Altria philanthropic priorities.

Prior to working with Altria, he worked for the American Petroleum Institute and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Maheras spearheads the company’s Midwest grassroots initiatives and is based in Direct Impact’s Chicago office.