GPS Media

Andi Johnson, Partner

For thirty years, Andi Johnson has crafted some of the best political advertising campaigns in the country. She got her start writing and producing TV and radio ads for Joe Slade White Communications in New York City. Andi’s creative talents and overall media strategy have helped elect a long list of winning candidates, including President Barack Obama, Senators Bob Casey, Dick Durbin, Amy Klobuchar, Governors Josh Shapiro, Jay Inslee, Tom Wolf, and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. Andi also has extensive experience working with IEs, such as DGA, SMP, HMPAC, DCCC, DSCC, Women Vote!, and 314 Action.

In addition to her electoral work, Andi is passionate about public schools. Her ads for teachers’ unions have played in more than twenty states and, recently, on a jumbotron in NYC’s Times Square.

Andi is proud to have been born and raised in the great Pacific Northwest.

Jay Howser, Partner

Jay Howser has created and produced campaign advertising for two decades, helping candidates across America win tough elections.  Before that, Jay was one of the leading campaign managers and research gurus in Democratic politics.  Having worked in politics for 27 years, Jay is noted for his work ensuring ads have the right strategy and message without compromising creativity.

Working in the Midwest and South for the first half of his career, Jay has in recent years become a noted player in Pennsylvania politics, electing two Pennsylvania governors, two US Senators, an Attorney General and the first woman Mayor of Philadelphia, as well as members of the Congressional delegation.

Jay has helped elect numerous members of the Congressional Black Caucus and helped elect both Nevada and Pennsylvania’s first Black statewide elected official, and what a part of electing the first Latina to the US Senate.’

Howser lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife Anne-Marie and their two children.

Roy Temple, Partner

Roy Temple is a veteran political and digital strategist and a co-founder of GPS Impact. Temple’s been known to give messaging advice that’s both pithy and on point. As a guy who spends a fair amount of time thinking about “what’s next,” Temple has also been on the forefront of innovative digital and targeting strategies to broaden the reach and increase the efficiency of paid political communications. He’s served on the digital and/or strategy teams for Governor Josh Shapiro since he was a county commissioner, Governor Andy Beshear, Governor Tom Wolf, Governor Phil Murphy, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Bob Casey, and House Majority PAC. Temple has also been a strategist on several winning ballot measures, including a statewide bond measure and a statewide ethics reform measure, and was part of the team that defeated the NRA in a concealed weapons statewide ballot measure, the only time the NRA ever lost such an effort. In nearly three decades of working with campaigns, there has never been a race where he didn’t learn something new.

Tim Persico, Principal

Tim Persico has been working in Democratic politics and government for over two decades most notably serving as the Executive Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in the 2021-2022 cycle. As a media consultant, Tim has advised several successful campaigns, including Congressman Shomari Figures in a newly-created district. He also helped the Pennsylvania legislative independent expenditure committee defy top-of-the-ticket trends to maintain their majority, and has advised numerous national progressive organizations on paid communications. Before leading Congressional Democrats to their best Presidential midterm defense since 1962, Persico ran campaigns at the state and federal level, worked as a Deputy Political Director at the DCCC in the 2018 cycle, served as a Chief of Staff in the U.S. Congress for seven years, and also as a strategic consultant to organizations and advocacy groups around the country.

A native of Luzerne County, PA Persico now lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and three kids.

Vriti Jain, Vice President, Communications and Campaigns

As the Vice President of Campaigns and Communications, Vriti brings her decade of experience in local, House, Senate and presidential campaigns to advise candidates and organizations on their strategic messaging and paid communications campaigns. She’s served as a key part of the teams for Congressmen Wesley Bell and Shomari Figures, as well as for the House Majority PAC and DCCC Independent Expenditure committees. Before joining GPS, she was Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where she oversaw the research, communications, digital communications, and policy strategy at the committee, leading to the best first-term midterm performance for a Democratic president since 1962. Previously, she served as a senior advisor to Jaime Harrison for Senate, as the research director for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential primary campaign, at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and on President Obama’s reelection campaign.

Nathan Nye, Vice President of Digital

Nathan Nye is the Vice President of Digital at GPS Impact advising clients on strategy, messaging, and execution for digital programs that persuade voters and move supporters. He works to bring together creative, data, and technical expertise to deliver for clients and is at the forefront of innovation for paid digital communications. At GPS Impact he has been instrumental in the victories for clients like Governor Josh Shapiro, Governor Andy Beshear, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Mayor Karen Bass, and Congressman Chris Pappas. Prior to GPS Impact, Nye led the digital teams for Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tammy Baldwin, and worked on Senator Maggie Hassan’s 2016 race.

Mariafernanda “Marifer” Zacarias

Mariafernanda “Marifer” Zacarias is the Vice President of Campaigns at GPS Impact advising clients on strategy, persuasive messaging, and multicultural outreach. A political strategist, Marifer specializes in Latino engagement, stakeholder relations, and Congressional campaigns. Most recently, she was the National Engagement Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), where she led a $35 million program focused on reaching AANHPI, Black, and Latino voters with paid media, research, and relational organizing in key House races for the 2024 cycle. Her leadership was instrumental in efforts to flip CA-13, CA-27, CA-45, NY-04, and defend critical seats like TX-28, TX-34, OR-06, NM-02, MI-08, NV-03, IN-01, OH-09, and VA-07, and fight for tough districts including TX-15 and FL-27. Previously, she was the Deputy Director for the White House Hispanic Initiative, where she worked with state and national stakeholders to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda. During the 2022 cycle, she was the Senior Advisor for Latino Engagement at the DCCC, leading Latino persuasion efforts through paid media and coalition work. Marifer’s career also includes key roles at Equis, For Our Future, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, and National Women’s Law Center.

Victoria Matthews, Vice President, GPS Media

Matthew Licht, Production Specialist