Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: John Norwood

89. John Norwood

People have referred to John Norwood as the “dean of insurance lobbyists,” and no wonder. He started his firm in 1977 and began representing the Independent Agents Association. Norwood Associates, a small firm, now has a flock of powerful insurers far too long to list here, as well as business players like Comcast, MasterCard, Churchill Downs and ADP. The two-person firm – John’s daughter Erin works with him – currently has 19 clients. One of the secrets of lobbying, he once noted, “is not so much killing bills, but getting them amended… so that they do not adversely interfere with the way our clients do business.” He had a big win when Norwood lobbied on behalf of the entire insurance industry successfully to have all licensed insurance agents exempted from the labor bill, AB 5. He also helped block SB 927, which targeted compensation disclosure between insurance agents or brokers and clients.

Updated Aug. 9, 2022