Ann McClung

For the past quarter-century, the Shepherd’s Center of Greenbrier Valley (SCGV) has been a steadfast beacon for older adults in pursuit of education, entertainment, support, and companionship. Now, as the organization has reached its silver anniversary, the members have nominated their founder for special recognition.

The idea for the SCGV was born in 1998. , As Ann McClung puts it, “The answers to my prayers came through the Shepherd’s Center.”

A career spent in the service of geriatric therapy – and the struggles associated with her own elderly mother’s declining health – led Ann to find inspiration in the Shepherd Center’s message of positive aging. Within a year, Ann, along with Pastor Julian Sulgit, were granted a West Virginia charter from the Shepherd’s Center of America, and facilitated the Greenbrier Valley’s first “Adventures in Learning” program in the fall of 1999. 

As the calendar turned the page on the new millennium, Ann began serving as volunteer executive director, a Board of Trustees was assembled, and nonprofit status was granted. The organization’s initial funding came in the form of a “Faith in Action Grant,” totaling $35,000. This allowed for Judy Long’s hiring as the SCGV’s first paid executive director.

Now in year 25, you can still always find Ann at SCGV, sharing announcements and encouraging attendees. She knows everyone’s name, engages with them about their personal lives, and makes them feel beloved.

For her commitment to education, wellness, and engagement for senior citizens across southern West Virginia, we are proud to name Ann McClung as the certified Real West Virginian of the Week.

Have a nomination for the future? Email us at news@therealwv.com.