Nygren to lead health insurance lobbying group
MADISON – John Nygren, who resigned from the state Assembly just a month after winning reelection, will be the new executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans, the lobbying group said Monday.
“I look forward to using my experience in health insurance and government to guide the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans,” Nygren said in a statement. “The pandemic has presented unique challenges for health care and forced the industry to quickly adjust to unique needs. My experience guiding complicated legislation into law will help the association during these uncertain times.”
The coalition of health insurance companies chose Nygren from its pool of executive director candidates for exactly those reasons: He knows the industry and how to get legislation passed in Wisconsin, said Peter Farrow, the association’s board president, who also is CEO of Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire.
“John’s demonstrated leadership
abilities and experience in the insurance industry make him an obvious choice to lead the association into the future,” Farrow said.
Nygren will start work later this month.
He will succeed Nancy Wenzel, who retired. Wenzel had been a registered lobbyist for the association since January 2009, according to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission’s Eye on Lobbying website.
The association represents 12 community-based health plans that provide health insurance coverage in every county of the state to individuals, employers and government programs, including Network Health, Security Health Plan, WEA Trust, MercyCare Health Plans and Dean Health Plan.
Nygren, a Republican, quit the Assembly a month after winning his eighth term representing District 89, which includes eastern Marinette County, eastern Oconto County and northeast Brown County. He had served four terms as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee.
He joined the financial services industry in 1998 and owns Great Lakes Insurance & Finance.
Gov. Tony Evers’ office has not yet responded to questions from the Oconto County Reporter about plans for a special election to replace Nygren.