Vista Prairie Communities celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2022. Our story started in 1997, when a nonprofit named Governmental & Educational Assistance Corporation (GEAC) was incorporated by a group of founders who were focused on developing low- and moderate-income housing, among other assets.

Eleven years later, GEAC’s business model had started to evolve from outsourcing management functions to operating senior living communities, under the name Vista Prairie Communities. The evolution included recruiting a Board of Directors with more diverse backgrounds, and a refocus on a mission, vision, and values of care, service, and innovation.

Jim Bettendorf joined Vista Prairie Communities as President and CEO in 2016, succeeding Morris Knopf, who became Chair of the Board of Directors. An attorney, Knopf had provided legal counsel to the board virtually from its founding 19 years earlier. The board’s charge to Bettendorf was to create a new mission, along with an organization keenly dedicated to accomplishing it:

… to serve those who entrust us with their lives, health, and well-being. We transform lives by providing compassionate care and joy-filled environments in the communities we serve.

Our nonprofit organization now owns ten senior living communities located in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. We offer Independence Plus, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Care Suites. In 2023, we launched our Aspire Life on Purpose™ lifestyle. It’s our commitment to ensure that older adults continue to connect with a purpose as they age, whether they are a resident of one of our warm and welcoming communities, or are part of a community-based initiative.