Gary McElyea is the Group Director of The Coca-Cola Company’s North America Public Policy Center. Gary leads a team of public policy experts tasked with developing and implementing Coca-Cola’s policy positions in the U.S. and Canada supporting the company’s mission to refresh the world and make a difference. He has been a leader in Coca-Cola’s government affairs function for the last decade. He joined Coca-Cola in Kansas City in 2011 and has since led public affairs campaigns across the country.
In recent years, Gary led the development of key sustainability and collection policies for Coca-Cola’s North America operating unit. He serves on the advisory councils for the U.S. Plastics Pact and was appointed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to the state’s Plastics Advisory Council. Gary also represents Coca-Cola on several policy working groups at the American Beverage Association and the Consumer Brands Association.
Before joining Coca-Cola, Gary served as an advisor and spokesman for several state elected officials. He previously worked as at radio stations in Missouri and New York. He is currently completing his MBA at Missouri State University. Gary and his wife Alison have two daughters, Nora and Emma, and live in Brick, New Jersey.