AMES & GOUGH APPOINTS JESSICA WITHEROW AND JUSTIN GOUGH AS EQUITY PARTNERS

WASHINGTON, DC — Ames & Gough, a leading insurance broker and risk management consultant specializing in serving design professionals, law firms, associations/nonprofits and other professional service organizations, today announced the appointments of Jessica Witherow and Justin Gough as equity partners of the firm. Their appointments bring to 17 the number of equity partners of Ames & Gough.

“Our strong growth and continued success over the years are based on our foundational commitment to our clients and the exceptional performance of our talented colleagues on their behalf,” said Matt Gough, CEO, Ames & Gough. “While successfully leading the firm into exciting new areas of growth and opportunity, Jessie and Justin have brought our passion for delivering excellent client service and results to an expanding clientele with unique needs and priorities. I’m delighted to recognize their many contributions to our clients and our firm and welcome them to our leadership team.” 

Founded in 1992 by Marshall (Marty) Ames and Gary Gough, Ames & Gough has grown steadily over the years; today, its 17 equity partners and nearly 70 professionals and staff serve the risk management, commercial insurance and employee benefits needs of professional services clients throughout the U.S.

Based in the Washington, DC office, Witherow leads the Ames & Gough Premier Select Team, focusing on small market accounts. She joined the firm in 2006 as an administrative assistant and subsequently assumed expanded responsibilities, concentrating on serving the needs of smaller A/E firms. In 2019, she was promoted to assistant vice president and led the Virginia Small Firm Team, which she built into a companywide function serving hundreds of A/E clients across the U.S. In 2025, she was promoted to vice president. 

Along with her client responsibilities, Witherow actively contributes to the firm’s success by refining processes, training and mentoring colleagues, and spearheading the company’s community initiatives. She holds the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation from The Institutes and The Hartford’s Small Business Coverage Specialist designation.

Based in the Charlotte, NC office, Justin Gough joined Ames & Gough in 2022. He leads the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice which offers small and mid-sized employers throughout the U.S. a full range of employee benefits services, including: employee benefits consulting; managed HR services; compliance support; wellness programs, and cloud-based benefits technology and analytics services. He has more than two decades of experience in all aspects of employee healthcare insurance and other benefits. 

During his career, Justin Gough has served in sales leadership with several leading life and health insurers, including at Aetna, where he was senior sales executive for five years. Earlier, he was in group benefits sales at Cigna and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, working with employers on their group life and health insurance, disability income, FMLA, dental and vision coverages. He earned a B.S. degree in business administration from University of South Carolina. 

source https://zweiglist.com/ames-gough-appoints-jessica-witherow-and-justin-gough-as-equity-partners/