Joseph Buckelew

Chairman

Joseph Buckelew is Chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew with offices located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, and Delaware. Conner Strong & Buckelew serves the insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting needs of clients throughout the United States and abroad. He has held prominent roles with this and predecessor companies since 1959.

Buckelew formerly served on the Board of Directors of Commerce Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: CBH) and was Chairman of the Board from July 2007 until March 2008. Buckelew has also served as Vice Chairman of Kimball Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees since 1985 and on the Barnabas Health Care System’s Board of Trustees for over 10 years. He also served as Chairman of the New Jersey Highway Authority for seven years and Chairman & Vice Chairman of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. He is currently on the Board of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.

Buckelew was also one of the former owners and founders of Ocean Cablevision which merged with Monmouth Cablevision and ultimately was sold to Clear Cable. In addition, in 2012, Buckelew and other local business and civic leaders purchased Interstate General Media (IGM), the parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com. In 2014, Buckelew sold his shares to the minority owners.

As a longtime Lakewood resident, Buckelew has served as Lakewood Mayor, Police Commissioner and a member of its Township Committee as well as on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders. He also was one of the founding members of WOBM, a radio station formed in the early 1960’s.

His deep-rooted ties to the community have earned him numerous honors, including a Distinguished Citizen Award from the Jersey Shore Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a Good Scout Award from the Ocean County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, a silver Gull Award for Business Achievement from the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council and a Humanitarian Award from Ocean County College Foundation. Buckelew received a Doctor of Humane Letter honorary degree from Georgian Court University and a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree from Monmouth University. Lastly, his most recent honor in 2018 was his induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Buckelew’s former professional affiliations included the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Independent Insurance Agents of Ocean County and the Ocean County Board of Realtors. He is currently a licensed Real Estate Broker.

He and his wife, Carol (deceased), were married for over 60 years. They have two sons, Brian and Kevin, and six grandchildren.