Glenn Shoemake to lead Buckner Westminster Place

By Analiz González
Buckner International

(LONGVIEW, Texas) – Buckner Retirement Services, Inc. has named Glenn Shoemake as the new executive director at Buckner Westminster Place. Shoemake will assume his position Sept. 4, when he’ll begin leading the retirement community in the “wave of the future.”

Westminster Place will be the first Texas community to adopt THE GREENHOUSE PROJECT®, an innovative way to change skilled nursing care to look and feel like home.

Pearl Merritt, president of Buckner Retirement Services, said Shoemake has more than proved his abilities and leadership during his seven years at Buckner.

“Glenn understands the direction Buckner retirement is going,” she said. “He is a talented, natural leader and will be the perfect person to lead the Green House projects into a new era of retirement living.”

Shoemake began his service for Buckner in 2000 when he worked as chaplain at the Buckner Retirement Village in Dallas. In 2002, he became the Village’s executive director and in October of 2004 he moved to Beaumont to serve as executive director for Buckner Calder Woods retirement community.

Shoemake’s responsibilities at Westminster Place will be similar to the ones he had at Calder Woods. They will include overseeing the operation of the campus and community as well as public relations, resident relations, building the leadership and management team as well as giving direction for the community.

Unlike the other retirement communities, the greenhouse homes, set to open in November, will be staffed with workers who perform multiple functions and focus more on bonding with the residents.

“The biggest challenge I’ll be facing in the new campus is getting to know the residents and staff,” he admitted. “Another challenge will be adjusting to the Greenhouse homes and the culture change that they represent. But I look forward to it.”

Before joining the Buckner team, Shoemake worked for 16 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Winters and for six years at Calvary Baptist Church in Midland. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Houston Baptist University and his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Shoemake is married to Sharon Shoemake, who works as a realtor in Longview. Together, they have five children and a 3-year-old grandson.