A Closer Look at Andy Hackman
In each issue, FlexPack VOICE® interviews an industry leader or a professional who helps the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) with its various efforts, such as advocacy for the industry. In this edition, we profile Andy Hackman, principal lobbyist with the firm Serlin Haley based in Washington, D.C.
As Serlin Haley’s principal lobbyist, Hackman leads the state government affairs practice and is responsible for the firm’s clients in all 50 states.
“I am the lead for ensuring they have successful state government affairs strategies and the intelligence they need to make informed decisions,” says Hackman, who joined Serlin Haley in 2014 after heading up state government affairs at The Toy Association and the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), which is now called the Household and Commercial Products Association (HCPA).
As of this year, he will have been in the profession of state government affairs for 25 years, starting work in the nation’s capital two weeks before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“My passion for public policy started in college at Indiana University’s school of public and environmental affairs and was taken a step further when I started working in Washington, D.C., two weeks before 9/11,” Hackman says. “During that early time, I saw firsthand how public policy shapes people’s lives, especially in the aftermath of those unique circumstances.”
Hackman says he has always believed that public policy can improve people’s lives by finding common goals, “if we can compromise and work together.”
“I have always loved state-level policy because it moves faster than federal policymaking, and it has a real-world impact that is closer to everyone’s lives,” he adds. “I have been lucky to build a profession in this area of important work.”
He started working with FPA in 2016, when the association was looking to create a strategy for media and government affairs.
“This was prior to major enactment of state policies impacting the flexible packaging industry, or packaging in general,” he notes. “Now, we have major state laws in place that will change the way packaging decisions are made for the foreseeable future and will have impact on everyone’s bottom-line.”
FlexPack VOICE®: How has your work with FPA evolved over the years?
Andy Hackman: Early in our work with FPA, we were educating policymakers at the state level about flexible packaging so that they understood what flexible packaging does. Now, in addition to that work, we are directly engaged in negotiating key provisions of legislation for the industry, which will impact key business decisions in the future.
FPV: What are some of the ways you interact with policymakers on behalf of FPA?
AH: Our interaction follows the identification of key proposals through a combination of human intelligence from the relationships that we have built over decades and our tracking database that constantly looks for new proposals that might affect the flexible packaging industry. Our interactions are always framed positively to educate policymakers and to work with them to better understand the impacts of legislation they might be sponsoring. We are pragmatic and work in good faith to build trust and credibility, enabling us to achieve positive outcomes for the industry.
Currently, the big issues are extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, recycled content mandates, chemical restrictions, and recyclability labeling proposals. Across several states, there are laws on the books that have created a patchwork of policies, which we strive to balance and make consistent, where possible.
“One of the keys to my success has been being both pragmatic and politely persistent.”
FPV: Who were your mentors and how did they help you? And do you mentor others?
AH: My first boss at CSPA, Bill Lafield, really was a tremendous mentor and friend to me early in my career. He had decades of experience in the government affairs world and trusted me to grow—and make mistakes—and he supported me as I started in this profession. From time to time, I have mentored college students interested in public policy and other young professionals through two professional organizations that I actively participate in.
FPV: What advice would you give someone who was interested in doing your type of work?
AH: One of the keys to my success has been being both pragmatic and politely persistent. Building relationships that help you achieve success in the state government affairs arena takes time, trust, and finding subtle ways to stay in touch with policymakers and offer credible solutions to common policy problems. My MBA from George Washington helped me deepen my ability to see policy connections with the business world. It also helped me to think more strategically about problems and to plan long term.
FPV: What do you like to do in your spare time?
AH: I have a wonderful wife and two daughters, ages 17 and 4. I enjoy telling lame dad jokes whenever I can. I also enjoy running, especially marathons, and I have completed 45 marathons as of October 2025.
FPV: Any favorite sports teams?
AH: I am a long-suffering Cincinnati sports fan and continue to wait for the Cincinnati Bengals to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. I hope.
