Principal
Bo Johnson began his lobbying career during the 1977 legislative session. He is currently one of the principals of JohnsonPoss Government relations. Prior to starting JohnsonPoss Government relations he was a principal with Smith Johnson & Carr from 1983 until 2007.
Johnson has worked on a wide variety of issues, including telecommunications, transportation, banking, manufacturing, food service, business taxes, insurance energy policy for clients such as Nissan, Norfolk Southern, First Tennessee, the Tennessee Outdoor Advertising Association, Anhueser-Busch, Lorillard, Electric Power and McDonald's Corporation.
After childhood experience in a family newspaper business, Johnson worked in high profile positions with several political campaigns and then served for two years as a legislative lobbyist for the city of Nashville.
He has also been the public relations director for the Tennessee County Services Association and managing editor of TCSA's newspaper, The Tennessee County News.
He holds a B.A. in History from Vanderbilt University and hails from Camden, Tennessee. In his spare time he can most often be found on his motorcycle seeking the perfect road.
Principal
Nathan Poss is a principal with JohnsonPoss Government Relations. Prior to forming JohnsonPoss Government Relations in 2007 he had been part of Smith Johnson & Carr, first as an associate and later as a principal in the government relations firm.
Before lobbying, he worked for seven years as an administrative assistant to the Speaker Pro Tem of the Senate, State Senator Bob Rochelle. His responsibilities included building coalitions, monitoring legislation and analyzing legislation for assignment to committees. Poss has also been involved in many successful legislative campaigns in the past.
Poss has built a reputation of hard work and respect among those on Capitol Hill. Working with the business community, Poss has been a key player on major environmental and tax issues. Poss has become known as a key strategist when it comes to getting results for the business community.
A growing part of Poss’ practice has been in the area of procurement. His ability to work well with key decision makers in state government and his knowledge of the state’s purchasing process has produced results for his clients.
He is a 1986 graduate of Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, and holds a B.A. in Social Science. Nathan and his wife Alison live in Nashville with their three children, Anna, Katie, and Tanner. He grew up in Tennessee's Wilson County.
Senior Associate
Holly Salmons has been working on the hill and in other functions of state politics since 2000.
Salmons served as an intern for the Senate Transportation Committee during the 102nd General Assembly. There she worked on key pieces of legislation such as fiber optic right-of-way for the Intelligent Transportation System and primary restraint. Salmons attended the University of Tennessee at Martin and Western Kentucky University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. After graduating from Western Kentucky she served as one of the field coordinators for Andy Womack’s gubernatorial campaign. In this capacity she managed all volunteer efforts, coordinated supporter databases and assisted the candidate at events across the state.
Holly began her lobbying career when she interned for the firm of Smith Johnson & Carr in 2002. She returned to the firm as an associate for Bo Johnson in 2003. In this capacity she worked on many issues ranging from outdoor advertising and railroads to manufacturing and alcoholic beverages. In 2006 Salmons worked with key legislators and railroad representatives to pass legislation strengthening the railroad trespassing laws. In 2007 Holly accepted the position of Senior Associate with the new firm, Johnson Poss Government Relations.
Associate
Megan Lyons is the newest addition to the JohnsonPoss team. She was
hired in November of 2007 as an associate for the firm. A recent
graduate from Belmont University in Nashville, Megan received a
Bachelor of Science in Political Science. While in college, Megan
focused on state government and political issues.
Her senior thesis was written on women’s rights along party lines in
the Tennessee General Assembly.
Megan's state government experience began with an internship for
Senator Micheal Williams during the 2006 legislative session. Her
internship experience sparked Megan’s interest in a career in
government relations. In August of 2007, Megan moved to Washington
D.C. to intern for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. During her
internship Megan was able to develop a broader perspective on
national politics, and see first-hand United States lawmakers at
work. Although Washington D.C. was an educational and enjoyable
experience, Megan decided she felt more at home working at the state
level.
Lyons grew up in Whites Creek, Tennessee, where she attended
Goodpasture Christian School. In her spare time Megan can be found
seeing live music, searching for new sushi joints, or just spending
time with the people she loves the most.
Office Manager
Hubbard joined Johnson Poss Government Relations at their opening in 2007 after working for Smith Johnson & Carr for 17 years. She has also worked for ten years in state government in the areas of employment security, human services and corrections. Hubbard’s experience in these agencies provided invaluable experience in organizing and managing an office operation and in dealing with the public. In addition, she is knowledgeable about the workings of state government and is familiar with numerous state employees, members of the legislature and legislative staff.
As the office manager at Johnson Poss Government Relations, Hubbard makes sure the firm’s operations run smoothly. She takes care of the big and small business details occurring from day to day.
Hubbard studied education at UT Nashville and Allied Health at Tennessee State University. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee and was raised in Dayton, Ohio but Nashville has been her home for many years. In her spare time she enjoys fishing, gardening and scientific experiment cooking for her family.
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