John Norris

John Norris has devoted his career to advancing agriculture, energy, and environmental policy through leadership roles at the local, state, federal, and international levels. He has served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board, a Commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Chief of Staff to Congressman Leonard Boswell and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. President Barack Obama appointed John as the United States Minister-Counselor for Agriculture to the United Nations’ Rome-based agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme. As Polk County Administrator, John proposed the creation of the Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment, a groundbreaking initiative approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2022. The project became the most comprehensive scientific assessment ever conducted of the Des Moines and Raccoon River watersheds, involving more than 4,000 hours of work by a team of 16 Ph.D. scientists. John played a central role in guiding the assessment from conception through completion.