John Palafoutas is the Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy and Congressional Affairs at AeA (American Electronics Association). Mr. Palafoutas is AeA’s principal lobbyist in Washington and is responsible for overseeing AeA’s domestic policy division, including: stock options, taxes, education reform, privacy, workforce issues, e-waste, broadband deployment, digital theft, procurement mandates, and tort reform.

Prior to joining AeA, Mr. Palafoutas established AMP Incorporated’s Washington office and was their Director of Federal Relations for seven years. AMP was a $5 billion global electronics manufacturer prior to its takeover by Tyco.

Mr. Palafoutas spent twelve years on Capitol Hill working for five Members of Congress. He was Chief of Staff to Congressman Duncan Hunter of California; Special Assistant for the Economic Recovery Working Group to Congressman Newt Gingrich of Georgia; press secretary to Congressman Tom Bliley of Virginia and to Congressman Greg Carman of New York; and campaign manager for the successful reelection campaign of Congressman Jim Jeffries of Kansas.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Palafoutas was Minister of St. James United Presbyterian Church in New York City. He also served four years as a Captain in the United States Army with duty as a battalion staff officer in Viet Nam and a brigade staff officer in the US.

He did his undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and received a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.