Stephen L. Buckner

Stephen L. Buckner is a senior executive at the U.S. Census Bureau serving as the assistant director of communications. He is responsible for managing the United States largest statistical agency’s marketing, digital and strategic communications.

A strong advocate for agile and data-driven strategic communications, he is overseeing several new initiatives to improve the Census Bureau’s overall customer experience and expand its digital, marketing and data dissemination capabilities. As technology continues to change the communications landscape, organizations must become more adaptable to customers’ liquid expectations and present new ways of reaching audiences with personalized content and experiences.                                      

With the 2020 Census currently underway, Buckner’s team is executing new digital communications and advertising strategies to reach respondents and motivate on-line response for what will be the largest civic engagement campaign in U.S. history. He is leading the effort at the Census Bureau to defend the once-a-decade count from misinformation and disinformation campaigns seeking to disrupt the census.

Buckner’s background in communications includes working in several public relations agencies prior to joining the Census Bureau in 1998. Buckner holds a master’s degree in public administration from Florida State University, and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida.