PITTSFIELD — The proposed merger between Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR) and UCP of Western Massachusetts has taken a significant step forward, with Randy Kinnas appointed by both nonprofits’ boards of directors to serve as joint CEO.

Kinnas, a former executive director and CEO of the Berkshire Family YMCA, has been serving as CEO of UCP of Western Mass. since 2023.

“This appointment marks a pivotal step in the unification process, establishing a single, unified executive leadership structure to guide the merged entity through its next chapter,” the organizations’ boards of directors said in a press release issued Tuesday.

At the same time, the boards announced the retirement of interim BFAIR CEO Ethel Altiery, who had been leading the organization following the March 2024 retirement of Rich Weisenflue.

“Her steady, compassionate leadership during a critical period of transition has been invaluable to both organizations,” the release said.

The two nonprofits, both dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities live without barriers, announced they would pursue a merger in April. The intent is to combine their resources, expertise and community relationships to expand services, strengthen programs, and advocate for their clients.

Naming Kinnas does not complete the merger process, but puts a single leader in place to guide the remaining tasks bringing the two organizations together with a single workforce and mission.

Kinnas said he hopes the merger can be completed within another six months. A $65,000 grant from The Massachusetts Nonprofit Collaboration Fund, a consortium of foundations established to help such mergers happen, is helping fund expenses such as legal counsel.

The merger's challenges, he said, are assuring the government contracts that fund the nonprofits’ work are successfully carried forward for the merged entity; creating a new workplace culture bringing the two nonprofits together; and positioning employees for success within the new organization. He said it’s more likely that one of the nonprofits will acquire the other on paper in order to make the merger work.

“The biggest challenge is getting everybody on board and ensuring their security within the organization,” he said.

Kinnas emphasized there are no plans to scale back employment at BFAIR, with 300 workers, and UCP, with about 150.

“There's going to be additional opportunities” for employment moving forward, Kinnas said. “If you look at both of our websites, both organizations have a bunch of open positions. So this merger will allow us to be creative and open up some additional positions and move people across the spectrum, but there are zero plans to eliminate any staff members.”

Kinnas hopes the merger will produce efficiencies and savings will allow the newly combined nonprofits to improve take-home pay for employees.

“We both have payroll companies, we both have insurance companies," he said. "We put it all under one [organization], there's going to be savings there, right?”

The typical employee at the two agencies “is very, very empathetic,” he said. “They are committed. They are not doing this for money; they're doing this because it's a passion. They're serving and helping individuals with disabilities on a daily basis, and they truly enjoy the work they do.”

Those people, who are so important to the services BFAIR and UCP provide, are also the key to making the merger work, Kinnas said.

“Both boards agree that this is a great direction to go. But at the end of the day, the staff have to implement it,” he said. “I have full confidence that both staff and both organizations will do what they need to do to ensure the success of this.”

North Adams-based BFAIR, founded in 1994, provides adult family care, residential, employment and day services for adults and children with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries.

Pittsfield-based UCP of Western Mass., founded in 1961 as an affiliate of the United Cerebral Palsy Association, offers applied behavior services, service navigation, direct programming, assistive technology, remote supports and advocacy for all adults and children with physical and developmental disabilities.

While the two nonprofit organizations have similar missions and in some cases serve the same clients in different ways, they also share notable differences in size, as laid out in their fiscal 2024 Form 990 filings with the federal government — the most recent available.

Of the two organizations, BFAIR is the larger, with 300 employees, $19.2 million in total revenue and a year-ending positive balance of $860,402 as of June 30, 2025. As of the same date, UCP of Western Massachusetts reported 156 employees, total revenue of $11.1 million and a net balance of $735,101.