Julie McCarty, executive director at Shavano Park Senior Living, knew she wanted a career in the senior living industry from an early age. Two of her grandparents were diagnosed with different types of dementia (Pick’s disease and Lewy body), and each embarked on two very different paths. The only similarity between the two was watching the impact it had on her family. Julie witnessed her parents trying to navigate through the unfamiliarity that comes along with the disease, without someone to help guide them along or be transparent about the process. She recalls there were always so many questions that no one had answers to and often found herself thinking, “what can I do … how can I help?” It was then that she set her mind on her lifelong goal of becoming a leader and mentor in the senior living industry.

Julie brings with her more than 10 years’ leadership experience, with eight of those years in assisted living and memory care. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in health care administration, specializing in long-term care.

In her spare time, Julie enjoys laughing and living life with her best friends: her husband and their three children, ages 17, 13 and 7.

“It has been an absolute blessing to spend my days doing what I have always wanted to do. I am a firm believer that, if you are passionate about what you do and you have fun doing it, then you will never work a day in your life, because it will be your way of life; and that is where I am at. It is truly an honor to call Shavano Park Senior Living my home away from home, and I am genuinely excited to enhance the lives of our residents, their families and our team,” Julie said.

Donna Crosby has been serving as our senior business office director at Shavano Park Senior Living since the community’s opening in 2015. As senior business office director, Donna’s day-to-day responsibilities include handling all aspects of employee orientation and training, managing the employee benefits program, and overseeing the community’s accounting activities and functions.

A Texas native, Donna comes to us from the construction industry with several years of experience in business and accounting. Prior to her position at Shavano Park, she worked in accounting at several construction businesses in the San Antonio area.

Donna has two adult sons, Colby and Dillon, as well as four dogs and three cats. In her spare time, Donna is an avid reader, and she and her husband, Bruce, enjoy spending time at the beach.

Johnnie Richardson is an integral part of our team and serves as our Generations Program director. He enjoys working with seniors, and we’re excited to have him as part of our team. He has been a nurse for 25 years and graduated from both Waylon Baptist University and Galen University. He also spent 13 years serving our country in the army. He is a proud husband to his wife, Elizabeth, and a dedicated father to his two beautiful children. In his spare time, Johnnie spends his Sundays preaching at Bible Forum Church.

Diana Ibarra joins Shavano Park Senior Living as our Vibrant Life^® director, bringing with her more than 20 years’ experience working in senior living. She began her career in the culinary department, but her passion has always been working with our residents.

Diana was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She has two children and enjoys dancing, taking walks, playing cards and board games.

Guadalupe “Lupe” Ramirez comes to Shavano Park Senior Living with 30 years of experience in his field. He joined the team in January 2020 as the Building Services director. He takes pride in his work and wants to ensure that the residents’ work orders are taken care of in a timely manner. Lupe is skilled in multi-tasking and is truly a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to repairing just about anything. He is married with two sons, Samuel and Gerald, and two daughters, Kristi and Maggie. They also have four grandchildren, Isaiah, Jayce, Layla and Camila.

Don White comes to the team ready to enhance the dining experience of our residents as our Culinary Services director. As a young child, he watched his mom’s every move in the kitchen, and from there, his love for cooking emerged. Don’s culinary career began 17 years ago when he worked as a corporate trainer opening new restaurants and helping them get their feet on the ground. He also worked for the Petroleum Club and Landry Group, where his attention to detail and the art of food presentation took shape. Don’s love of cooking goes right along with his love for his family. He has two handsome sons and a daughter and is a loyal husband to his amazing wife.

Orlando Alva Jr. brings with him two years of experience as a concierge. He is very passionate about helping his residents with anything they may need. While at St. Mary’s University, Orlando studied psychology for two years.

When he is not working, Orlando loves to go to the movies with his sister, hang out with his friends, or stay home reading a good book and drinking a nice cup of hot tea.