Bryan Norman, associate publisher at Thomas Nelson, has announced that he is leaving the Nashville publisher to become a literary agent with Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Alive Communications. Norman will start Aug. 2, and he and his wife, Suzanne, and their two children will relocate to Colorado.

"Bryan is one of the young all-stars in the publishing industry, and I am delighted to sign our No. 1 draft pick," said Rick Christian, founder and president of Alive Communications. "He is an immense editorial talent with strong leadership and new media skills, and brings to us a network of deep relationships, together with a wealth of spiritual insight and wisdom. He will continue nurturing authors and their ideas from inception to publication, using his many gifts and abilities to help authors flourish."

Norman served at Nelson for nine years. For the past four years, he has led the day-to-day operations of the nonfiction publishing division under Brian Hampton, senior vice president and publisher of Nelson Books.

"Though I'm sad to leave my friends at Nelson, my family and I anticipate great things in Colorado and look forward to living in the Rockies," Norman said. "My life as an Alive agent will allow greater focus on two of my key strengths, content development and author relationships. Working for a smaller company will also allow greater flexibility for me as a husband and young father."

Norman has worked with numerous best-selling authors, including John Eldredge, Donald Miller, Bob Goff, John MacArthur, John Maxwell and Sheila Walsh.

Alive needed another agent after Lee Hough left the company last month because he is battling cancer. Hough, 58, who started at the agency in 2001 and in 2010 was named vice president, was honored June 24 with the first Christy Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis.