{"id":480060,"date":"2026-10-29T05:18:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T05:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/480060\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T05:18:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T05:18:46","slug":"longtime-leader-of-one-safe-place-steps-down-after-more-than-two-decades-at-the-helm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/480060\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime leader of One Safe Place steps down after more than two decades at the helm"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Ismael M. Belkoura, Fort Worth Report
October 28, 2026<\/p>\n

Ken Shetter, who has led One Safe Place since it was founded more than two decades ago, stepped down from his role at the family justice center earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Joel Glenn, the current board chair, is serving as interim CEO for the nonprofit located in the Near Southside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shetter stepped down from his position Oct. 5.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of the great honors of my life to get to lead the organization. I worked with great people, and enjoyed serving our board, our chairman for all those years,\u201d Shetter told the Fort Worth Report. \u201cBut more than anything else, it was an honor to work on behalf of the survivors that we served for all those years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Report was unable to speak with Glenn prior to publication.<\/p>\n

Shetter said he had been quietly working to transition out of the organization for some time, citing health issues and the birth of his first grandchild as reasons for his decision. Over the last year, Shetter had been updating One Safe Place\u2019s bylaws, which had not been rewritten since the nonprofit\u2019s founding, and creating a C-suite leadership structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was good timing for the organization and good timing for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As a family justice center, One Safe Place is a leader in Fort Worth in providing safety and support for victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking, along with children and family services. The nonprofit\u2019s 1100 Hemphill St. location houses offices for more than 25 organizations, including Unbound Now, Families to Freedom, Hagar\u2019s Heart and The Ladder Alliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shetter has been One Safe Place\u2019s chief leader in some capacity since the organization was created in 2005. Then known as the Safe City Commission, the nonprofit was formed as part of a wave of family justice center openings internationally.<\/p>\n

In 2014, One Safe Place went from a group of trailers to a 67,000-square-foot facility, now called the Linda Claire Morris building. Through one centralized location, the family justice center is able to redirect people needing safety and services. In 2025, One Safe Place had 32,561 client visits, 1,281 client intakes and 4,068 client referrals to other agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shetter, whose title has gone from executive director to president to CEO, was there for it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always a reason you could stay because there\u2019s something right around the corner that you\u2019re excited about, and that always would be true,\u201d Shetter said. \u201cBut the programs are in the best shape they\u2019ve ever been, the finances are in the best shape they\u2019ve ever been, there\u2019s lots of exciting things on the horizon. The organization is just in a great place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michelle Morgan, chief operating officer for One Safe Place, said the organization is sad about Shetter\u2019s departure but noted she and other leaders at the nonprofit are dedicated to continuing his legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to continuing to do the valuable work here in our community. And that\u2019s a commitment that all of us have made to our board chairman,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cSo I\u2019m hopeful that we will do just fine through the transitionary phase that we are currently in.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to his work at One Safe Place, Shetter also served as mayor of Burleson from 2014-20.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ismael M. Belkoura is the nonprofit editor for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from North Texas Community Foundation. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article<\/a> first appeared on Fort Worth Report<\/a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.\u00a0\"""\"<\/p>\n

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