Kelly Knowles, who is helping to run the new political action committee (PAC) for the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), grew up in rural Goldsboro, North Carolina, where her parents ran a small business and instilled in her the understanding of how business and government intersect.
“My parents ran a flooring company for 35 years and set a strong example of being politically informed, and they encouraged me to be interested and active in politics,” she says. “I will always have a place in my heart for small businesses.”
That environment led Knowles to major in political science on a tennis scholarship at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She received a graduate certificate in PACs and political management and a master’s degree in legislative affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., after taking her career to the nation’s capital. Her path in political affairs and industry relations included nearly 19 years at the American Bakers Association (ABA) where she was vice president of political and state affairs before departing in 2021.
At that time, she started her own lobbying and consulting business, AllCourt Public Affairs.
“I went out on my own in 2021, and now I have a mix of corporate, trade association, and foundation clients,” she says, describing her role as a political engagement and industry relations professional for the business industry.
Her connections through the years eventually led her to FPA, where the former president and CEO, Alison Keane, approached Knowles about helping to start FlexPAC™.
“We set a lofty goal for a new PAC of $100,000 for the cycle—we measure our growth in two-year election cycles—so our goal for the first year was $50,000,” Knowles says. “With the same goal in 2025, FPA is on track to be a six-figure PAC, which is impressive for a brand-new political action committee. I give tremendous credit to the FPA membership for meeting the challenge.”
A small part of the money will be earmarked for a Democratic-leaning political fund and a Republican-leaning political fund, and other contributions will be made next year and beyond so that FlexPAC™ can help influence the 2026 election cycle.
“The packaging industry has so many headwinds right now from sustainability, recycling measures, extended producer responsibility, and so on,” Knowles says. “We are going to be very strategic about how FlexPAC™ invests its resources in candidates who support our issues.”
The January/February 2025 issue of FlexPack VOICE® explores FlexPAC™ in more detail. But here is a closer look at Knowles from a recent interview, edited slightly for style and clarity.
FlexPack VOICE®: What you say about your parents is interesting. Did you have other mentors along the way?
Kelly Knowles: Yes, several. Amy Showalter at The Showalter Group has been a mentor in the political space for me. Showalter started a program called Innovate to Motivate® years ago, which was the political involvement conference for folks like me. I attended and got to know Amy and have learned so much from her. She’s passionate about political involvement—learning the ins and outs of PAC management, as well as how to inspire advocacy volunteers, raise money, and stay current on the latest trends surrounding politics and influence.
I also would say Christine Cochran, who is president and CEO of SNAC International, which I am honored to have as a client. Christine and I have known each other for 20 years. When I was a young working mother, she gave me my first opportunity to work a side job in development for a foundation she was running at the time. That experience paved the way for me to have enough confidence to start my own business three years ago. She is a smart leader, professional supporter, and friend.
Then, there is George Deese, one of my very favorite people on earth who served as chairman and CEO at Flowers Foods in Thomasville, Georgia, for many years. I got to know George during my time at ABA, and he has always led by example and helped me understand why it is so critically important for business executives to be involved in the political process and stay in tune with what is happening on Capitol Hill. George understood the need for executives to be active in their industry trade associations, come to Washington, and cultivate key relationships with members of Congress and regulators. George and his wife, Glenda, are very special to my family.
FPV: Do you mentor others?
KK: Yes, there is great value in mentoring others, especially young women, and I believe it is important to help those who are starting out in their careers. I think women make terrific fundraisers. They have interpersonal skills to understand what motivates contributors, possess unique attention to detail, and have the innate ability to make folks feel good about giving money and investing in important causes. And of course, women also make great leaders for many reasons.
FPV: I understand you live in Texas. How does that work with a lot of the action in Washington, D.C.?
KK: I have been in Texas for 17 years and moved to Austin when I married my husband, Andy DeVilling, who works as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Starpak, LTD, a packaging company headquartered in Houston, Texas. I travel to Washington regularly—and I always love going there, and I always love coming home.
FPV: What do you like to do when you are not working?
KK: I play tennis and golf, love to read, and spend time with my family. I have a 13-year-old daughter, Savannah, so I’m involved in her activities, and we are all crazy about our 6-year-old shih tzu, Kevin.
FPV: What didn’t I ask that I should have asked?
KK: Politics can be a cynical business. With everything going on in the world today, I understand why people are overwhelmed and frustrated by current affairs and the politics of personal destruction. However, I truly believe this is the greatest country on earth, and while our system is not perfect, it is still the best one ever created. As American citizens and members of the business community, we have a responsibility to be involved in the political process, and this has always guided me in the work I have done throughout my career. I am grateful to FPA for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their team.
Thomas A. Barstow is senior editor of FlexPack VOICE®.