Home Posts tagged UCP of Western Massachusetts

BFAIR, UCP Announce Merger Progress, Leadership Transition, CEO Appointment

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD and NORTH ADAMS — BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts announced a significant milestone in their ongoing merger exploration, including a leadership transition that will position the combined organization for continued growth and impact in serving individuals with disabilities and their families across the region.

Following a joint agreement by the boards of directors of both BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts, Randy Kinnas has been appointed CEO of both organizations. 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.

“We are proud to move forward together under unified leadership,” said Randy Kinnas, CEO of BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts. “This merger represents a shared commitment to expanding the quality and reach of services for the individuals and families we are privileged to serve. Together, we are stronger.”

Both boards also recognize and celebrate the retirement of Ethel Altiery, who served as interim CEO. “Her steady, compassionate leadership during a critical period of transition has been invaluable to both organizations,” the board stated. “Altiery’s guidance helped lay the foundation for the unified future that BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts now pursue.”

Added Kinnas, “Ethel’s leadership during this transition has been a true gift to both organizations and to the people we serve. We are deeply grateful for her dedication, her wisdom, and her heart. We wish her all the best in a well-deserved retirement.”

The merger of BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts brings together two longstanding organizations with a shared mission: to support individuals with disabilities in living full, meaningful, and self-directed lives. By combining resources, expertise, and community relationships, the merged organization will be better equipped to expand services, strengthen programs, and advocate for those who depend on them.

Both boards of directors have approved this leadership structure as part of the broader integration plan, reflecting their confidence in a unified future that honors the legacy of both organizations while embracing new opportunities for impact.

BFAIR, UCP Boards of Directors Share Plans to Pursue Merger

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD, NORTH ADAMS — BFAIR and UCP of Western Massachusetts announced they are exploring the possibility of a future merger. The organizations emphasize that no final decisions have been made and that this process is in an exploratory phase.

Discussions formally began in June 2025, with a shared goal of determining whether a combined organization could strengthen services, improve long-term sustainability, and enhance impact across the region. Over the past eight months, board members from both organizations have participated in a structured and collaborative process, supported by an external consultant, to guide planning and evaluation.

“Both organizations are deeply committed to the individuals and families we serve,” said Peter Mirante, board chairperson of BFAIR. “This exploration is about ensuring we continue to meet community needs in the strongest, most sustainable way possible.”

As part of the process, both organizations conducted a comprehensive due diligence review of operations, governance, compliance, and risk. Financial records and assets were also closely examined to better understand opportunities and challenges. No significant concerns were identified.

Following this work, both boards of directors approved and signed a non-binding resolution of intent to merge, reflecting a shared commitment to continue evaluating the opportunity. This document does not represent a final agreement.

Additional steps completed to date include engagement of local legal counsel to guide regulatory and legal considerations, a detailed financial analysis to assess long-term sustainability, exploring funding opportunities to support and assist with consulting and legal costs, and initial high-level integration planning to explore how a combined organization could operate while ensuring continuity of care.

In the coming months, both organizations will begin more active engagement with key stakeholders, including staff, families, and community partners. This outreach will provide opportunities to share information, answer questions, and gather feedback.

Preliminary transition planning is also underway to explore potential organizational structures, leadership alignment, and program integration should a merger move forward. Leaders stress that this planning is preparatory and does not indicate a final decision has been made.

Both organizations also underscored their commitment to workforce stability throughout the process.

“We recognize that news like this can raise questions,” said Dan Proskin, UCP’s board president. “We are committed to transparent communication and to keeping our focus where it belongs — on delivering high-quality services and support to the people who rely on us every day.”

Further updates will be shared as the exploration continues.

WRRS 104.3 LPFM Launches New Radio Series Exploring Child Growth

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — WRRS 104.3 LPFM, a community radio station owned and operated by UCP of Western Massachusetts, announced the launch of a new, original radio program dedicated to supporting families, caregivers, and educators as children grow from kindergarten through fifth grade.

The new series focuses on the personal, academic, and emotional development that takes place during each year of elementary school. Through thoughtful conversations, practical insights, and real-world classroom perspectives, the program aims to help listeners better understand the milestones, challenges, and triumphs children experience at every stage.

Each episode highlights a specific grade level, exploring topics such as building foundational literacy and math skills, developing friendships, strengthening executive functioning, fostering independence, and nurturing emotional resilience. The series also examines how families and schools can work together to support children as they grow socially and academically.

As part of the program, WRRS interviews experienced educators, including a local second-grade teacher who shares firsthand insight into what students experience during this pivotal year. The discussion explores how children transition from early learning foundations to increased academic expectations while continuing to grow in confidence, empathy, and self-awareness.

“This series is designed to give parents and caregivers a clearer picture of what growth really looks like from year to year,” said Sandra Seefeldt, program creator and host. “Elementary school is a time of extraordinary development, and understanding those changes helps adults better support the children in their lives.”

The program reflects WRRS’s ongoing commitment to providing informative, community-centered programming that serves listeners of all ages and backgrounds. As part of UCP of Western Massachusetts’ mission to support individuals of all abilities, WRRS offers inclusive content that is accessible, educational, and relevant to families throughout the region.

The new child development series will air on Thursdays at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. It will also be available through the station’s online streaming platform.

Berkshire Talking Chronicle Launches Audio Drama for Sight-impaired Audiences

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Talking Chronicle, a radio reading service provided by UCP of Western Massachusetts, has launched The 413, a serialized audio mystery drama created specifically for sight- and print-impaired audiences and broadcast on WRRS 104.3 LPFM Pittsfield.

The show follows a group of college friends working over winter break in the Berkshires who stumble into a decades-old disappearance and discover it may be happening again. When a woman vanishes from a local diner, leaving only a cryptic note reading, “I finally ordered what I wanted,” at the same booth where her grandmother disappeared 40 years earlier, the friends are pulled into a mystery that spans generations.

The first season, “The Holiday Shift,” is a three-episode arc now available through Berkshire Talking Chronicle’s broadcast platforms.

The 413 was meticulously designed using “Theater of the Mind” principles, ensuring total accessibility. Every plot point, clue, and character interaction is fully comprehensible from the audio alone. The show achieves this by building its world for the ear: characters identify themselves naturally in dialogue, entrances and exits are acknowledged by others, and no visual element is left unspoken.

“When you’re creating for an audience that can’t see, every line has to carry more weight,” said Tina Brissette, the show’s creator and producer. “It’s a discipline that actually makes the writing stronger, and it benefits all listeners, not just our target audience.”

The 413 is distinguished from traditional audio dramas by its production method and its openness about it. The show was developed using AI tools at every stage: collaborative scriptwriting with Claude (by Anthropic), synthesized voice performances and sound design through ElevenLabs, and AI-generated music and sound effects.

The production is fully transparent about this process. Each episode is followed by a behind-the-scenes conversation between host Adam Santos and Brissette, in which they discuss story decisions, the AI tools used to produce the episode, and how sight- and print-impaired listeners can access those same tools in their own lives.

“This isn’t about pushing a button and getting a finished product,” Brissette said. “It’s a collaboration between human creativity and technological tools. I make every creative decision, story direction, voice selection, scene pacing, and editing. AI gives me raw material. The craft of shaping it into something that connects is still human work.”

The project grew out of her volunteer work with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in Berkshire County, where she has been leading AI literacy workshops for lifelong learners. Through that work, she connected with Berkshire Talking Chronicle (BTC) Station Manager Elizabeth Irwin, who invited her to create content for BTC’s specialized audience.

Rather than produce a straightforward technology program, Bressette proposed something more ambitious: an original mystery series that would demonstrate AI’s creative potential while delivering genuine entertainment and serving as a model for how emerging tools can expand accessibility and opportunity for creators at any experience level.

The 413 serves dual audiences: sight- and print-impaired high school and college students ages 16 to 22, and AI-curious adults age 55 and older. The show aims to build technological confidence through storytelling rather than instruction alone.

UCP of Western Massachusetts to Raffle Off Car in Collaboration with Berkshire Mazda

By
Daily News

PITTSFIELD — UCP of Western Massachusetts announced a new fundraiser brought to UCP by Berkshire Mazda in Lenox beginning on Monday, March 3. The raffle is called Driving Force, and the prize is a 2025 Mazda CX-50. The approximate value of the car is $25,000 and includes taxes and registration fees.

Tickets are being sold — at $50 for one or $90 for two — at several locations: Hillside Pizza at 77 Church St., Bernardston; UCP at 75 South Church St., Suite 201, Pittsfield; UCP at 535 Curran Highway, North Adams; UCP at 2260 Westfield St., Unit 5, West Springfield; BBE Office Interiors/413Shirts at 1595 East St., Pittsfield; Berkshire Mazda at 474 Pittsfield Road, Lenox; Olde Heritage Tavern at 12 Housatonic St., Lenox; and Starving Artist Café at 40 Main St., Lee.

This raffle will sell only 1,200 tickets. If fewer than 700 are sold, the raffle will turn into a 50/50 drawing with the net proceeds.

The drawing will be held at Berkshire Mazda on Monday, June 16 at 1 p.m. Ticket holders do not need to be present for the drawing. The winner must claim the prize within 30 days, and the car is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

UCP of Western Massachusetts is a nonprofit agency that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities and provides a wide range of customized services to support people with disabilities and their families.