Meet Mary Shoemaker: Gompers, Cornish & Barr’s steady and experienced leader of our Commercial Lines department.
With nearly four decades of insurance experience and a deep commitment to teamwork, organization, and client service, Mary plays a pivotal role in ensuring our commercial operations run smoothly every day.
Mary’s career in insurance began in the 1980s in personal lines, where she learned the fundamentals of the business from the ground up. In 2001, a career transition led her to commercial lines, a move that offered new challenges and opportunities for professional growth.
“I wanted to challenge myself,” Mary recalls. “Commercial lines was a different arena, and I felt that perhaps there was more opportunity to grow professionally.”
That decision set the course for the next stage of her career. In 2013, Mary joined Gompers, Cornish & Barr, drawn by the agency’s reputation for teamwork, client care, and leadership that values its people. In 2020, she was promoted to Commercial Lines Manager, a role that allows her to combine her organizational strengths with her leadership instincts.
Keep Serving. Keep Growing.
Today, Mary manages both a select book of business and a close-knit team of three fellow commercial lines specialists. Her leadership style emphasizes structure, collaboration, and process—all qualities that proved invaluable when GCB acquired the Blanchard Agency in 2019. Mary helped lead the effort to integrate and reorganize hundreds of accounts, overseeing a complex transition that required both patience and precision.
“That was a turning point for me,” she says. “It took a lot of strategy and coordination, but seeing everything come together was incredibly rewarding.”
When asked what she finds most fulfilling about her work, Mary doesn’t hesitate: “The success of the team and the agency are my reward. Seeing a well-oiled machine, when workflows and processes are running smoothly; that’s the most satisfying part of my job.”
“Personal Lines”
Outside the office, Mary prefers to keep life simple and grounded. A self-described private person, she treasures time spent with friends and family and enjoys summers “up north,” visiting relatives and soaking in Michigan’s natural beauty.
And when it comes to what matters most in her life, her answer is heartfelt and succinct: “My son and his wife are my pride and joy.”
Whether she’s mentoring her team, organizing new workflows, or savoring quiet weekends away, Mary’s thoughtful leadership and calm professionalism reflect the steady heartbeat of GCB’s commercial operations…and remind us all that success is built on dedication, teamwork, and heart.