Responsibilities
Charity Richart is responsible for the onboarding development and implementation of technical training programs for all Property & Casualty personnel. She develops, implements, and maintains processes, procedures and standard documents. Charity preserves an online database for trainings and standard materials to promote adherence to company procedures and guidelines. She is a proactive innovator of training and technical solutions, working on several key projects and practice groups to enhance efficiencies. She participates in various technology initiatives to promote professional development, efficiency, teamwork and commitment to Conner Strong & Buckelew’s corporate goals.
Background
Charity is an insurance professional with over 25 years of claims experience. Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, she spent 9 years with The Graham Company providing claims advocacy services including facilitating claims strategy meetings, overseeing claims, and providing proactive communication between clients and insurance carriers. Prior to her working in a broker advocate role, Charity gained experience as a Claims Representative. In this capacity, she worked with both carrier and Third-Party Administrator firms, managing a wide range of insurance risks across diverse industries in both public and private sectors throughout the nation.
Licenses & Certifications
Certified Strengths Coach – Gallup
Property & Casualty Producer License – NJ, PA & DE
Professional Designations
Associate in Claims (AIC)
Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)
Community Involvement
Charity is an active member of The Institutes Insurance Broker Advisory Board where she provides strategic guidance on educational programs and professional development initiatives, influencing the future of broker education. Charity also participates in The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, where she collaborates with industry leaders to identify emerging trends and serves as a thought leader, promoting industry innovation and excellence.
Responsibilities
Carole Mack leads the Public Entity Practice for Conner Strong & Buckelew which provides risk management and insurance services to governmental entities in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Background
Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Mack was President of Buckelew & Associates, a real estate and insurance firm located in Toms River, New Jersey. Buckelew & Associates was purchased by Conner Strong & Buckelew in November of 1996. Mack was responsible for overall agency operations that employed a staff of 50 people.
Mack has 45 years experience in the insurance industry and is currently maintaining the Certified Risk Manager, Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Professional Insurance Women designations. She has successfully completed three parts of CPCU.
She has served on the Board of Directors of Liberty Bell Insurance Company and New Jersey Alliance, Bermuda Captives.
Professional Designations
Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
Certified Risk Manager (CRM)
Certified Professional Insurance Woman (CPIW)
Community Involvement
Mack served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Community Medical Center. She is a former President of the Toms River Sunrise Rotary. She is a member and former President of the Board of Directors for Ocean’s Harbor House. Mack has been involved with the Princeton Insurance Company Advisory Council, the Agents and Brokers Advisory Council for New Jersey Department of Insurance, the Selective Insurance Company Producer Council and the St. Paul Producer Council. She is a former committeewoman of the Farmers Home Administration and is also a past chairwoman of the INA Producer Council. She is currently a member of the Toms River Police Foundation.
Responsibilities
Lisa Vanore is responsible for setting the vision and direction for the Claim Advocacy and Consulting Department, a key differentiator of Conner Strong & Buckelew. The department is a 45-member diverse team that is focused on protecting clients. Lisa manages daily operations to ensure efficient claim handling and superior consulting services to our customers. She works closely with senior executives to drive optimization of operational efficiencies, and elevation of client service.
Lisa is also an active participant in the Alternative Risk Practice Group, providing invaluable risk mitigation guidance to organizations across industries.
Background
Lisa brings over 16 years of enterprise-level risk management experience to Conner Strong & Buckelew. Her experience spans various industries including, public companies, hospitality, and higher education where she was responsible for directing claims and litigation management strategies. Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Lisa served as the Director of Risk Management for a large casino, where she spearheaded the development and oversight of comprehensive risk management and loss control programs designed to reduce the total cost of risk.
Education
Temple University, Fox School of Business – Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Marketing
Professional Designation
RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)
Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS)
Responsibilities
Andrew Still brings a technical, solutions-oriented approach to designing and implementing customized risk management programs tailored to the unique needs of commercial clients. He provides comprehensive risk analysis, ongoing strategic guidance, and dedicated support across the Construction, Financial Institutions, and Professional Services sectors.
Background
Andrew joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in 2024, bringing more than 12 years of experience in risk consulting and forensic accounting. He previously specialized in complex financial disputes and investigations, including third-party risk, fraud risk management, insurance claims preparation, and post-acquisition disputes. Andrew’s deep expertise in M&A advisory and litigation consulting allows him to identify critical coverage gaps and structure insurance programs that safeguard clients’ long-term interests.
Education
La Salle University – Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Finance, Minor in Risk Management & Insurance
Professional Designations
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS)
Community Involvement
Andrew is deeply committed to community engagement and industry service. He serves as the Philadelphia Community Ambassador for the Movember Foundation, where he helps raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. Andrew previously served as a board member and Chair of the Young Professionals Council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, as well as Treasurer and Executive Committee Member for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. He is also active in several professional and industry organizations, including the Construction Financial Management Association, the New York Building Congress, the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, the General Building Contractors Association, the Subcontractors Trade Association of New York, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Responsibilities
Paul Kang is a key member of the service team, focusing on plan analysis, product line financial evaluations and trend and cost analysis of claim history. He is responsible for analyzing and negotiating rate renewals and year-end financials on behalf of clients in collaboration with the Consultant. In addition, Paul analyzes employee benefit programs, contribution strategy, eligibility requirements and client objectives to meet client budgetary objectives and servicing and administration requirements.
Background
Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Paul was an Underwriter for Gallagher Benefit Services. In this role he prepared medical and prescription drug renewals and respective premium equivalent rates for self-insured clients, implemented new employee contribution strategies, and organized financial tracking reports for medical and prescription drug claims and enrollment. Paul also developed benefit plan design cost-impact scenarios.
Education
Temple University, Fox School of Business – Bachelor of Business Administration, Actuarial Science and Risk Management and Insurance
Professional Designations
Actuarial Exams: Probability (P) and Financial Mathematics (FM)
Responsibilities
Paul is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of employee benefits programs for clients. His role involves leading a team of professionals in designing, implementing, and managing comprehensive benefits solutions tailored to client needs, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and maintaining strong client relationships. He focuses on small to mid-size clients that have the potential to transition to a self-funded platform through Conner Strong & Buckelew’s CREO Benefit Captive Solutions practice.
Background
Paul joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in December 2014. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for Willis and Gallagher Benefit Services in the New York market.
Education
Drexel University – Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
Professional Designations
Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC)
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida Health and Life License
Responsibilities
Carol Lapetina has direct contact with the account team, clients, and claims administrator staff – often under stressful circumstances. The Audit Manager position is particularly challenging, as it demands that the auditor quickly master the operations and processing systems at a Claims Administrator (claims processing; eligibility; provider maintenance; pricing database), in order to evaluate in depth the claims adjudication for a specific client, and to challenge the Claims Administrator where an adjudication outcome seems to be at variance with plan design or industry standards – or fails to meet the test of “reasonableness.” Carol also manages the Dependent Eligibility Audit team, which facilitates dependent eligibility/verification and working spouse audits and responds to member inquiries regarding the audits.
Background
Prior to managing and conducting claim audits, Carol managed the Member Advocacy Team at Conner Strong & Buckelew for more than ten years. The Advocacy team acts as a liaison between the Claims Administrators and clients to resolve employee/member claim issues and billing inquiries, provide assistance with medical and prescription pre-certifications, and conduct benefit provision research when required. This function involves handling the most-complex medical claim scenarios for which plan members have sought assistance from an independent party, typically when the Claims Administrator has been unable to provide a solution.
Carol’s frontline experience with member claim issues, coupled with her hands-on approach and problem-solving skills developed over 35 years in the insurance industry, has made her a very effective medical claims Audit Manager and auditor. She is able to mediate the often-conflicting viewpoints of the Claims Administrator, the claimant, and the Plan Sponsor, always cognizant of what the medical plan intends and what it can provide.
Professional Designations
NJ Licensed in Property, Casualty, Life, and Health Insurance
Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR)
Certified Professional Coder (CPC)
Responsibilities
Bradley Watts focuses on driving business development for the firm’s international Life Science & Technology practice, collaborating with organizations across all stages of maturity—from pre-clinical growth to some of the largest commercial-stage operations. He also specializes in managing large, complex organizations with challenging risk exposures. Brad is responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive, cost-effective insurance programs and tailored risk management strategies for clients.
Background
Brad joined Conner Strong & Buckelew in 2024, bringing eight years of prior experience in risk management as a Producer. Specializing in accounts with sophisticated exposures and complex insurance needs, he previously worked at The Graham Company until its acquisition by Marsh. During his tenure at Graham, Brad played a key role in the company’s first office expansion, helping establish a new location in New York City.
Education
Rowan University – Bachelor of Science in Finance
Community Involvement
Brad is a Global Patient Advocate & Speaker who is actively involved with two non-profits: The Emily Whitehead Foundation and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At the age of 29, Brad was diagnosed with FL and DLBCL Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Between 2017 and 2021 he underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation therapies, an autologous stem cell transplant, immunotherapy, CAR-T therapy, and an excision of malignant nodes.
Published Articles
Cardinal Health’s 2025 Advanced Therapies Report
- Hope for Patients: Brad’s Story
- Provider Perspectives on Referral Challenges and Solutions
- Preparing for CGT Administration: Travel and Logistics
- A Patient-Centered Approach to the CGT Supply Chain
- Life After Treatment: Long Term Follow-up and Beyond
Responsibilities
Kristin O’Brien is dedicated to supporting Level Health (“Level”), one of our most high-profile clients. Her extensive knowledge of Level allows her to enhance and expand service offerings while collaborating closely with Level’s team, Independence Administrators, and its largest Funds.
Kristin plays a pivotal part in shaping strategy, overseeing daily operations, leading major projects, driving expansion efforts, and facilitating the rollout of population health initiatives.
Background
Kristin brings a wealth of experience from her tenure at UBC’s New York City District Council of Carpenters Benefit Funds, where she has served for 23 years in a variety of significant roles, including the last five as Executive Director. Under her leadership, she managed key benefit
programs, including the Health and Welfare Fund—one of the largest in the nation. Kristin’s expertise spans all facets of health and welfare plan management, and her background as a licensed social worker provides a unique perspective in serving clients.
Education
John Jay College – Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Psychology
New York University (NYU) – Master’s Degree in Social Work
Professional Designations & Certifications
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW)
Psychology in Leadership Certificate, Cornell University
