Mary Buckelew

Mary Miller Buckelew (born Mary Miller in November 1945) represented District 3 in the Jefferson County Commission for four terms from 1990 to 2006. She was also the founder of the Video Xpress chain of movie rental stores.

Buckelew grew up on Avenue G in Ensley and graduated from McAdory High School in 1964. She married Elbert Buckelew, a childhood friend she had dated since turning 16 and took a job as a secretary in an insurance office. She worked her way up to an underwriter at the firm and, after having two daughters, moved to McAlla.

Buckelew was one of the founders of a Parent-Teacher Association at McCadory when her oldest daughter reached high school in the 1970s. She later was nominated for a seat on the school's board. In 1983 her application to fill a vacancy on the Jefferson County Board of Education was accepted. She won re-election to keep the seat and became vice-president of the board. She resigned after her youngest daughter completed high school.

Buckelew opened her first Video Xpress rental store in Huffman. Her husband sold his pharmacy and joined her in the venture, which expanded to 25 locations before it was purchased by Movie Gallery in 1994.

Buckelew, running as a Democrat, was first elected to the County Commission in 1990 and took on the role of President of the Commission.

In 1997 Buckelew was honored as one of Governing magazine's Public Officials of the Year. She was lauded for bringing decorum and relevance to a County Commission plagued by infighting and for bringing the county's numerous municipalities and competing agencies to the table where agreements on joint purchasing and the establishment of a county-wide sewer system. She also led the efforts to establish the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority which constructed its first industrial park in McCalla.

Buckelew, who chaired the Jefferson County Emergency Management Authority, introduced several provisions related to the county's emergency response resources. She was honored by the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) for her work in 2002.

In 2006 Buckelew introduced an ordinance drafted by the Business Alliance for Responsible Development that sought to reduce environmental protections favored by the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission.

Buckelew retired from the commission in 2006. Bobby Humphryes succeeded her in office. Although he had run on a platform of reducing county expenditures, one of his first actions after taking office was to buy $24,000 of new furnishings and equipment to make Buckelew's former office, decorated in soft greens with wood, more "masculine" and "modern".

Buckelew's records were subpoenaed by federal officials as part of the SEC investigation into Jefferson County bond swaps. In September 2008 she agreed to plead guilty on a single count of obstruction of justice, admitting that she lied about gifts given to her by financiers during a trip to New York City. As part of the plea deal she will cooperate with the investigation.

Mary Buckelew Parkway between Mt Olive and U. S. Highway 31 in Gardendale is named for her.

References

• Mahtesian, Charles (1997) "In the Cause of Consensus". Governing magazine.
• Crowe, Christina (October 19, 2006) "Got Flood Insurance?" Black & White
• Walton, Val (September 23, 2008) "Former Jefferson County Commissioner Mary Buckelew agrees to plead guilty to obstruction of justice." Birmingham News
• Diel, Stan (September 24, 2008) "From Ensley, Mary Buckelew rose to Jefferson County school board president, millionaire." Birmingham News