John Buckelew

John Buckelew is an employee of Madison Hospital who was honored as Employee of the Year during National Nurses Week.

Conner Strong & Buckelew is a premier insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting firm. Their employee benefits practice provides top-tier benefits administration, health & wellness programs, as well as strategic advisory services.

Early Life and Education

John was a kind and loving individual with an infectious smile, infectious laugh and kind heart. Though often labeled the rebellious class clown, John worked hard and took pleasure in cooking and helping others.

At 18 years old, he joined Buckelew Programs’ Transitional Adult Youth (TAY) program. Through this opportunity, he received support to work towards independence and create his own future. Since then, he has made incredible progress and recently moved out of Tamayo Village into his own home.

Professional Career

Buckelew Programs’ Executive Director leads one of North Bay’s largest behavioral health organizations. They offer mental health services throughout Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties.

His team provides support housing, employment opportunities, outreach initiatives, education and outpatient counseling services for individuals living with mental illness. Additionally, they offer crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.

Buckelew Programs also operates a 10-bed crisis residential facility to further extend their services.

She also spearheaded the mobile inRESPONSE program, launched in January 2022, to answer mental health calls that often come through police or community lines. Utilizing a mental-health first approach, this service diverts cases away from police stations, jails and hospitals. Its team includes a licensed clinician, firefighter paramedic and engagement specialist.

Achievements and Honors

John was a dedicated family man who enjoyed sports and people. With his kind heart and infectious laugh, John left an indelible mark on everyone he encountered.

At Ouachita Baptist University’s 2019 Academic Awards Banquet, students were honored for their academic and leadership accomplishments. Notable among them is Carrie Hill who earned the overall academic achievement award and is the top student in the School of Fine Arts.

At an April ceremony at Snead State Community College, the college recognized students with outstanding grades during the spring semester. Transfer scholarships from four-year universities were also recognized. Honored recipients included Stephen Dean of Oneonta for his All-Alabama Academic Team member in Chemistry; Amber Lopez of Horton for Chemistry and Dean’s Academic Award; and Lillian Thompson also from Horton for History-Western Civilization.

Personal Life

John Buckelew was an inspiring individual, known for his kindness, intelligence and contagious laugh. Everyone he encountered felt blessed to have known him.

He is an invaluable member of Buckelew Programs’ Suicide Prevention Hotline Volunteer Corps. Trained to provide suicide risk assessment services, he can offer invaluable support to individuals like Marie who are facing crisis.

At the time, Josh was struggling to gain stability and independence from his mother’s care. To work towards creating a future for himself, he needed support to work towards this goal.

Net Worth

John Buckelew’s net worth is estimated to be $20 million. He founded and chairs Conner, Strong & Buckelew, a financial services firm.

He is also the president of Princess Cruises, a global line of cruise ships offering travelers various entertainment and dining options. His parents were James Madison Buckelew and Sarah McAdams, married on June 29th 1848 in Alabama.

His father was a loyalist soldier from South Carolina during the Revolution. He moved to Loudoun County, Virginia in 1754 and is listed on several tithable lists in the area as well as having land ownership documents in several places. Furthermore, he is credited with killing a wolf in 1749 and owns property in Edgefield County, South Carolina.