Robert Owens, President, joined Owens Group in 1978; the firm was founded by his father, Herbert Owens, in 1957. He is actively engaged in all areas of the firm’s practice and serves on the Board of Directors, the Management Committee and the Owens Group Advisory Committee.

Bob has served on a number of charitable boards and is currently a board member of the Horace Mann School and the US Friends of the Jewish Museum Vienna.

After graduating from New York University with Honors in Politics in 1971, Bob worked on Capitol Hill for two Representatives. He subsequently worked as an investigative reporter for syndicated columnist Jack Anderson and as the co-author of the “The Investigators” column for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. He also wrote the nationally syndicated “Insure Yourself” column for four years.

Maria Patti joined the firm in 2002. She serves as the agency’s Human Resources and Operations Manager. Prior to joining the Owens Group, Maria spent 13 years at JP Morgan Chase in various Human Resources roles. She holds a Human Resources Generalist certification from the Society of Human Resources Management. Maria is responsible for recruiting, compensation and benefits, employee relations, training and daily agency operations. She serves on the Management Committee, Owens Group Advisory Committee, and Owens Group Foundation.

Jean Dennehy, CIC, joined the firm in 1990 and specializes in evaluating and placing commercial insurance risks. She is a past President and Treasurer of the Insurance Professionals of Rockland County. She is also a recipient of its Insurance Professional of the Year. Jean has more than 30 years of business risk management experience. She currently serves on the Owens Group Management Committee and is Chairperson of the Owens Group Foundation.

Maureen Conn joined Owens Group in 2018, serving as an Account Executive. She now serves as the Manager of the Personal Lines Department. Maureen served as the Vice President and Personal Lines Manager at two prior firms. She is an accomplished insurance advisor with expertise focused on the needs of successful individuals and their families. Maureen holds a Bachelors’ Degree from Ramapo College of NJ and has more than 23 years’ experience with Property and Casualty Insurance.

Denise Kligman, LTCP, CLTC, joined the firm in 1998. She works with individual and corporate clients in developing insurance plans, and strategies that best suit their needs. Her expertise includes Life Insurance and Long-Term Health Care planning. Denise holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Skidmore College and has more than 25 years of experience in the Life & Health field.

Joanne Simione joined the firm in 2020 and serves as the Commercial Lines Supervisor. With over 35 years of experience, she is dedicated to the team by assisting with all areas within the Commercial Lines Department. Joanne maintains a designation as a Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist which benefits clients by reviewing construction contracts against required insurance.

Melanie Komninos originally joined Owens Group in 1990, beginning her career as a Customer Service Representative in our Commercial Insurance Division. Leaving Owens Group in 1998 to work with two firms on the wholesale and underwriting sides of the insurance industry, she gained significant additional experience in real estate risk management. In 2005, Melanie rejoined our firm as a Senior Account Executive and now serves as Account Servicing Supervisor, overseeing a team that assesses the risks and placements of both new and existing commercial real estate clients.

Wendy James, CIC, AAI-M, joined Owens Group in 2019, serving as an Account Executive. She now serves as the Personal Insurance Servicing Supervisor. Wendy holds a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University along with multiple insurance designations. She takes pride in building relationships with her clients and guiding them to the right insurance plans for their lifestyle Wendy is a trusted advisor and has more than 20 years of experience in Property & Casualty insurance.