Clark Hunt has helped lead the Kansas City Chiefs to four Super Bowls since taking over as owner in 2006, with his wife, Tavia Hunt, née Shackles, by his side through it all.
The Chiefs president and CEO has been married to Tavia since 1993 and the couple has three children: daughters Gracie and Ava and son Knobel. The family is close, and Clark and Tavia are raising their children to be avid football fans and active in their faith.
“My wife, Tavia, is an amazing mother,” Clark said in an interview with the Chiefs in May 2013. “She loves our kids and would literally do anything for them.”
He added: “She is also an excellent teacher; she uses every opportunity to teach them, whether it’s something about our faith, about school, or how to treat those around them; she is just an amazing mom.”
Who is Gracie Hunt? All about the daughter of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt
Tavia was at Clark’s side when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl, their third win in five seasons.
So who is Clark Hunt’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Tavia Shackles Hunt and her relationship with the Chiefs owner.
She is from Kansas City, Missouri
Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt ahead of AFC play-offs in January 2024.
Tavia Hunt Instagram
Tavia was born and raised in the town of Poglavica, where her family still lives today. Growing up, Tavia actively participated in beauty pageants that took her around the state of Missouri, making her especially proud of her roots.
“I was Miss Missouri Teen USA and I traveled all over the state of Missouri. I was Miss Kansas USA at the time and I visited, I think, every small town in Kansas during that year,” she told local Kansas City affiliate KSHB in September 2022.
She added: “I feel I have a special connection with Chiefs Kingdom. Kansas City is such a special city and it is truly in my heart.”
She is the director of the Chiefs Women’s Organization
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Tavia Hunt and the Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders after winning the 2024 Super Bowl.
Tavia Hunt Instagram
Although she sees herself as the “boss of bosses”, as she joked Her life magazine in 2018, Tavia also holds an important role with an NFL team: director of the Chiefs Women’s Organization. The program involves wives and girlfriends of players giving back to their local communities for charity.
“I love being the host of it and organizing events to introduce our extended soccer family to Kansas City and get them involved in serving the community,” she told the news outlet. “It connects us on and off the field to come together to serve the community and enjoy our fellowship together.”
Past projects have included feeding the hungry at local shelters to building homes through Habitat for Humanity. Tavia added that the goal is not only to provide financial support, but to connect with the community and “uplift others.”
In addition to being a director, Tavia is also heavily involved with the Chiefs’ cheerleading squad, from designing outfits to helping judge potential candidates.
She met Clark when she was an intern for the team
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Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt on the red carpet before the 2022 National Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on May 21, 2022 in Frisco, TX.
Richard Rodriguez/ISI Photos/Getty
Before marrying the team’s CEO, Tavia began her journey with the Chiefs as an intern. A lifelong Chiefs fan, she interned in the PR department in 1991 while still in college. She told KSHB that after the first lunch at the end of the summer, she caught Clark’s eye.
“At the end of that event, a nice guy named Clark came up and started talking to me, we had a great conversation and we had so much in common, we learned,” she said. “He asked me if I wanted to have dinner once, and the rest is history.”
Although he was the son of then-owner Lamar Hunt, Tavia swore she had “no idea” who he was. However, after six weeks of dating, she told KSHB that she knew he was the one when he gave her a postcard his grandmother had given him.
“He said he had it for years and that it meant a lot to him, and that he hoped he had found his partner who would ride with him on the road of life,” she said. “It had a 1940s convertible on the front and a cute feel. I still have it. It’s framed in my bathroom. So we knew right away.”
She and Clark married in 1993
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Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt at a Chiefs game in Frankfurt, Germany in November 2023.
Tavia Hunt Instagram
Tavia married Clark on October 23, 1993, when she was 22 years old. She just graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a degree in political science, trans Her life.
In 2023, the couple celebrated their 30th anniversary, and Tavia marked the special occasion on her Instagram with a sweet tribute, sharing that “today they love each other more than [they] ever.”
“Happy anniversary my dear. You are my soul mate, my best friend and “usually” my favorite person in the world,” she wrote. “I love you and the family we’ve created. So here’s to growing old together 🥂 we hope the best is yet to come!!❤️.”
They share three children
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Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt with their children, Ava, Gracie and Knobel, before Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
Christian Petersen/Getty
Tavia and Clark welcomed their first daughter, Gracie, on March 29, 1999. Their son, Knobel, was born on July 15, 2002. Exactly six years after having Gracie, the Hunts completed their family with the birth of Ava in 2005.
Gracie, like her mother, is a beauty pageant queen and even followed in similar footsteps after being crowned Miss Texas Teen International in 2016 and 2018. Three years later, she was crowned Miss Kansas USA.
“She tells me, ‘Just be you. You’re enough,'” Gracie said PEOPLE (TV show!) host Kay Adams in a 2021 episode about the advice her mom gives her. “It’s really nice to walk down the road with someone who’s been down that road before. It really bonded us so much.”
Knobel is currently studying at Southern Methodist University, while Ava is finishing her senior year of high school, where she is a cheerleader. Tavia told KSHB that while they may not see each other every day, she still has a close relationship with all three of her children.
“I would say we’re very, very close, and I think we talk every day if we don’t see each other every day,” she said. “I just think of our faith, our values and our deep love for each other [tie us].”
She is proud to be a part of the Chiefs fan base
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Tavia Hunt and Clark Hunt take a selfie with Andy Reid before being awarded the Lamar Hunt Trophy after defeating the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game on January 19, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri.
David Eulitt/Getty
The Chiefs have been on a huge winning streak over the past decade, most recently winning their second consecutive Super Bowl in 2024. Tavia told KSHB that the best part of being part of the Chiefs’ kingdom, however, isn’t the wins — it’s the fans.
“We have arguably the best fan base in the NFL,” she said. “They show up whether it’s 100 degrees or minus 10, or whatever. They appear.”
To that end, Tavia is passionate about giving back to that fan base, even beyond her role in the Chiefs Women’s Organization. She and Clark are involved in various philanthropic activities outside the stadium as well.
“It’s important that Clark and I invest and give back to that community, and we decided to do this with a focus on children and hunger,” she said. Her life. “We want to be involved and present for the fans and the organizations that support us.”
Taylor Swift is a fan
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Clark Hunt and Tavia Hunt gift Taylor Swift a purse for her birthday in December 2023.
Tavia Hunt Instagram
After Taylor Swift started dating tight end Travis Kelce, Tavia was excited to welcome her to the Chiefs family. Ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl, Gracie opened up about how her mom insisted on getting her a certain purse — even when Kelce was hesitant.
For her birthday in December 2023, Gracie revealed that Tavia wanted Kelce to buy Swift a Minaudieres Swarovski microphone clutch worth nearly $5,000.
“My mom actually texted Travis saying, ‘Hey, like, you gotta get her this,’ and he texted her back and said, ‘I don’t even know if she likes it,'” Gracie shared. Page six in February 2024.
“My mom said, ‘Well if you’re not [going to get it], this is our birthday present for Miss Taylor because she needs this,’ she added. “All women love shiny things.”
The Hunt family ended up gifting Swift with the bag, which Tavia posted on Instagram.
She spoke in defense of Chiefs player Harrison Butker’s controversial commencement speech
In May 2024, Chiefs player Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College sparked an online backlash after he spoke at length about the “diabolical lies being told to women” about marriage and motherhood.
A few days later, Tavia responded to Butker’s speech in an Instagram post, seemingly defending his stance.
“Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted,” she wrote. “It is empowering to admit that a woman’s effort in raising children is not in vain. Countless highly educated women dedicate their lives to nurturing and guiding their children.”
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Source: HIS Education