Gary brings his passion for construction, community, and serving seniors to Pleasant View
It takes dedication and hard work to keep our beautiful community thriving. As Pleasant View Communities has grown and prospered over the years, so has our need to upgrade our facilities and build new, modern homes, apartments, and lofts for our residents.
That’s where Gary Gaissert comes in. Gary is brand new to the Pleasant View Communities family, but he’s a veteran of the construction world and an expert at bringing beautiful, purposeful senior living communities to life.
He’s also deeply dedicated to construction within the local community, serving as the Board Chair for Lancaster/Lebanon Habitat for Humanity.
We spoke with Gary to learn more about him and his new role. He shared his vision for the future of Pleasant View as we continue to expand out into the community and create beautiful spaces for our residents to call home.
Q. Welcome to the team, Gary! Tell us about your role now that you’ve joined the Pleasant View family.
A. I’m truly excited to a part of Pleasant View Communities. My role is a newly created position. I’m here as the VP of Facilities and Project Management, which means I’ll be overseeing the many construction and renovation projects that’ll be taking place over the next several years. For instance, I’m working on plans for how to renovate and modernize many of our residences. And I’m getting involved in our newest building projects, like The Lofts at Lititz Springs.
I also oversee maintenance and grounds as well as marketing and sales. So, I have my hands in the entire process from the time we start planning a new construction project or renovation to the time we begin marketing and selling those properties, to then making sure every space is beautifully maintained.
Q. That sounds like a huge role, but you’ve tackled big senior living projects in the past, correct?
A. Oh yes, I’ve spent most of my career in the building and construction industry and have dedicated the past 14 years to the construction of senior living communities. I’ve developed a passion for serving seniors.
Q. What is it about senior living construction, in particular, that you love?
A. Most of the senior living communities I’ve worked for in the past didn’t have anyone with a construction background on the team as they began planning various expansion projects. I’ve always felt that my skill set and expertise in construction helped make senior living community projects more successful.
I hope to be able to say the same as I get involved with the many upcoming projects planned for our residents here at Pleasant View.
Q. What is it about Pleasant View that makes it a good fit for you and the next phase of your career?
A. Pleasant View Communities is taking a unique approach to senior living that I really love. There’s a willingness of everyone here to think outside of the box and reimagine what senior living can mean.
This approach is so important now that we’re emerging from COVID – the industry is changing as a result and retirement communities need to get creative with their facilities planning.
Pleasant View was already ahead of this curve before the pandemic – the Lofts at Lititz Springs are the perfect example. They recognized the benefit of creating a second campus downtown when many senior living communities would have hesitated to stretch beyond their walls.
Overall, Pleasant View is giving me an opportunity to bring all of my passions together – construction, community, and serving seniors.
Q. Now that you’re here, what is your vision for our community and how can the construction of future facilities and residences help further our mission?
A. The culture and the desire to do more community-oriented projects drew me here and I want to push that way of thinking even further. Everything is on the table when we’re talking about ways to improve Pleasant View for our seniors.
A great example is a project we’re planning right now – a community space on a 50-acre farm that sits across the street from our main campus. We’re going to transform the farm into a community destination that brings our residents together with the entire Manheim community. We are planning the construction of a new community center, pool, farmer’s market, and much more. The Manheim public library is intending to relocate to the center and we are planning a modern pool that the Manheim high school swim team may call home. Aaron’s Acres, a Lancaster non-profit that serves children with disabilities, is also planning to join us.
And we’re working hard to make this a net-zero project so everything we construct on the farm is done with respect for the environment. A project like this is a real testament to Pleasant View’s dedication to our mission and the surrounding community of Manheim.
We’re doing the right things for the right reasons. This is the approach I’ll bring to every facility we build as we continue to grow and serve the community and the residents of Pleasant View.
We welcome you and your loved ones to visit us at Pleasant View and discover everything that our vibrant, active, and growing community has to offer. Contact us to learn more and schedule a tour to visit us at Pleasant View.
