Two nonprofit leaders are challenging the status quo to create a stronger future for older adults in Billings and Yellowstone County.
The Billings Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Erika Purington and Tyler Amundson of Allies In Aging as the 2026 Groundbreakers Award recipients.
The Groundbreakers Award recognizes visionary individuals, businesses, projects and organizations that serve as catalysts for growth and innovation. It celebrates those willing to challenge the status quo, introduce bold ideas and create transformative solutions for the community.
Erika and Tyler are doing exactly that. For years, Adult Resource Alliance and Big Sky Senior Services have each provided critical services to older adults in Yellowstone County. Both organizations hade strong missions, dedicated teams and deep community roots. Yet, Erika and Tyler saw an opportunity to make those services even stronger by bringing them together by choosing collaboration over competition.
In early 2025, Erika and Tyler received unanimous approval from their respective boards to move forward with a merger of the two organizations. While the idea had been discussed over the years, meaningful movement had never taken place. Erika and Tyler had the vision and determination to ask a different question: What could be possible if these two organizations stopped working separately and built something stronger together?
The answer is a new organization designed to better serve older adults and their families. By combining the strengths of both organizations, the merger eliminated duplicative efforts, streamlined services and made more effective use of the resources invested in serving older adults. Perhaps most importantly, it made it easier for seniors and their families to find the services they need to remain safe, nourished, engaged and independent in their homes and communities. That kind of transformation takes more than a good idea. It takes courage.
Merging two established nonprofit organizations is no small undertaking. It requires navigating organizational structures, funding, programs, staff, boards, logistics and decades of history. Erika and Tyler approached the process with intentionality, transparency and a shared commitment to mission. They engaged a consultant early, brought key stakeholders into the conversation and worked diligently to educate and involve their boards, employees, community partners and local leaders. Throughout the process, they have prioritized communication and staff wellbeing, recognizing that successful organizational change depends on the people responsible for carrying the mission forward. Their leadership has demonstrated what servant leadership can look like in action.
Rather than asking what was best for their individual organizations, they focused on what was best for the people and community they serve. They chose collaboration over competition, shared purpose over organizational identity and community impact over maintaining the status quo.
Erika and Tyler’s commitment to older adults extends well beyond the merger. Together, they are demonstrating that innovation doesn’t always mean creating something entirely new. Sometimes, innovation means having the courage to rethink what already exists.
The merger of Adult Resource Alliance and Big Sky Senior Services into Allies In Aging represents a bold new approach to delivering services to older adults in Yellowstone County. It also offers a powerful example of what can happen when leaders put mission first and work together toward a shared vision.
Erika and Tyler have led the groundbreaking approach to community leadership. The significance of this work extends beyond the newly formed organization. Nonprofit mergers are rare, and the challenges of combining organizations can often stand in the way of opportunities to better serve a community. They have shown that those barriers can be overcome with thoughtful leadership, transparency, collaboration and a willingness to embrace change.
Their work is not only creating a stronger organization. It is challenging other nonprofits to consider what might be possible when resources, expertise and missions are aligned around a common purpose. That is what makes a Groundbreaker.
The 2026 Groundbreakers Award recognizes Erika Purington and Tyler Amundson for their courage to challenge the status quo, their commitment to servant leadership and their vision for a stronger, more connected future for older adults in Yellowstone County.
Congratulations to Erika Purington and Tyler Amundson, the 2026 Billings Chamber Groundbreakers Award recipients!
Learn more about the 2026 Business Excellence Award recipients and celebrate their accomplishments with us on September 24 at the 2026 Annual Business Celebration.