John J. Bishop, a 1972 Ohio Northern University graduate and chairman of the board of The Motorists Insurance Group, was selected as a 2014 inductee into the Ohio Foundation of Independent College Hall of Excellence.
Bishop was among four selected for the Hall and will be formally inducted at the “Evening of Excellence” on April 16 at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Joining Bishop as inductees into the Hall of Excellence are author and health and nutritionist expert Jean Carper (Ohio Wesleyan University), chairman of NVR Inc. Dwight C. Schar (Ashland University), and chairman and CEO of Thomas Properties James A. Thomas (Baldwin-Wallace University).
ONU President Daniel A. DiBiasio said, “John Bishop’s induction is well-deserved, and ONU is proud of his accomplishment. He has always shown that he is not only a dedicated graduate of ONU, but also an ardent supporter of education, and his actions have always shown his passion for higher education.”
Bishop, who also serves a chairman of the ONU Board of Trustees, is chairman of the board of The Motorists Insurance Group. The Motorists Insurance Group is an affiliated group of 10 property and casualty and life insurance entities operating in 21 states with more than 5,000 independent insurance agents. Bishop joined Motorists in 1972 and progressed through a series of management positions.
He joined the group’s senior executive team in 1995, was named president and chief operating officer in 2000, and was elected CEO and chairman of the board in 2001. During Bishop’s tenure as CEO, The Motorists Insurance Group more than doubled in size and now ranks among the top 25 mutual property and casualty insurance organizations in the U.S.
Bishop has been actively involved in numerous civic and industry organizations. During his career, he has served as chairman or president of the Ohio Insurance Institute, the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, the Ohio Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, and the Association of Ohio Life Insurance Companies and on the boards of the Ohio Law Enforcement Foundation and the Central Ohio United Way. He also currently serves as chairman of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC).
Bishop is a native of Lima, Ohio, and graduate of Lima Central Catholic (LCC) High School. In 2010, he was inducted into the LCC Hall of Fame for professional achievement. He and his wife, Shirley, were high school sweethearts, reside in Powell, Ohio, and Marco Island, Fla., and are the proud parents of two adult sons, daughters-in-law and three grandchildren.
The Hall of Excellence was established in 1987 to honor alumni of member institutions of OFIC whose lifetime achievements exemplify the traditions, ideals, strengths and values of private higher education.
Hall of Excellence members strongly reflect the historic ability of independent colleges, through academic excellence and personalized educational concepts, to prepare graduates for global opportunities and challenges in business and industry and the arts and sciences and for service to society, community and nation.
The accomplishments and contributions of these alumni demonstrate the measurable returns from continuing investments in the education of today's students and future leaders, many of whom, in time, will take their honored and deserved places in the OFIC Hall of Excellence.
