Bengochea Takes Over VVH Foundation

Erika Bengochea was recently appointed as the President of the Valley View Home Foundation Board following the expired term of Ken Jansa of Valley Bank. Other changes to the foundation board include the installment of Mike Slaats of All Seasons Hardware as vice president; Lori Viste of First Community Bank as secretary and treasurer, and the addition of Teresa Breipohl to the board. Other board members include Opheim farmer Jeff Larson and Arron Franzen of First Community Bank.

Bengochea, a native of Glasgow and co-owner of United Insurance and Realty with her husband Jon Bengochea, has served on the foundation board for just over three years. Her ties to Valley View Home run long and deep. “I’ve loved Valley View Home since 1986 when my great grandmother Hazel Gallagher was there,” said Bengochea adding that her grandfather and great uncle were also in the Valley View memory care unit.

As president of the Foundation Board, Bengochea will oversee the board’s mission to serve the Home by providing funding for services that are not always foreseen by the administrator in the main operating budget. In the past the foundation has provided funding for a new bath spa, automatic medical beds, general medical supplies and equipment, education and training for employees and nursing staff. They also have covered expenses for certain special events.

Bengochea clarified, “Basically, we can provide anything the administrator sees as a need that does not fit into the main operating budget of Valley View.” She touted her pride in the foundation’s purpose adding, “We (the foundation) truly care about the residents and employees up there, and we really want to make it better for all of them.”

Bengochea is also passionate about the Home’s future, but put it in more personal terms commenting, “I may have four of my parents or in-laws needing to be in Valley View Home, and this is their home, this is where they raised us, and this is where they should stay.”