Currently, there are approximately 770,000 South Carolinians over the age of 60. By 2025, that number is projected to swell to more than 1.3 million. Will our state be ready to meet the needs of such a rapidly- growing senior demographic? And can we accomplish this Herculean task of protecting our seniors while simultaneously protecting the taxpayers?

The answer to both of these questions is a resounding "Yes," provided we continue to build upon the foundation we have put in place at the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging.

For the past 15 months, it has been my privilege to serve as the executive director of the Office on Aging.

Working with Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, we have successfully transformed this agency into one of the top- rated governmental units in the entire nation - dramatically enhancing productivity and service while cutting inefficiency and administrative costs.

In addition to South Carolina's exploding senior population, we face tough realities which inevitably accompany that growth. For example, the number of South Carolinians over 65 years of age diagnosed with Alzheimer's or related disorders is projected to double over the next 15 to 20 years.

My first priority was to maximize the dollars we were devoting to the actual provision of services.

Specifically, we were able to cut 20 percent of our administrative budget to apply directly to senior services, including the first ever Senior Center for seniors with developmental disabilities.

We cut travel and other expenses and shifted desk jobs to field jobs so we actually touch seniors where they live and how they live.

We streamlined our delivery system as well, successfully merging data, outcomes, and auditing in each program within our office to analyze where and how each dollar was being spent and how effectively it was being spent.

We now have a framework in place that rivals that of any private sector company anywhere in the nation.

Lt. Governor Bauer also recognized the need to raise the profile of seniors' issues in our state, effectively turning a "silent debate" into a long- overdue public policy discussion on these pressing challenges.

Just this year, the legislature assigned the Office on Aging with the task of re- writing South Carolina's plan to combat Alzheimer's - a report that will be presented to policymakers next year.

We still face challenges - such as revitalizing our Senior Network of nonprofits, faith- based groups, local agencies and private partners, but I am confident we have created the framework within the Office on Aging necessary to take this next critical step.

I am tremendously grateful to Lt. Governor Bauer for giving me this opportunity and for the energy he has put into these reforms. I am confident that under his leadership the Office on Aging can continue to build on the solid foundation we have established for our state's seniors.