RPH-2015-09

Round Rock | Pflugerville | Hutto Edition • September 2015 43
REGIONAL
Abridged stories from our other editions
Full stories online at communityimpact.com
TOP STORIES
Changes lead to
‘renewed spirit’
GEORGETOWN Since becoming
Southwestern University president
in 2013, Edward Burger has overseen
several changes at the liberal arts
university, including updates to its
academic affairs and leadership.
“I’m excited about the confluence
and renewed spirit I’m seeing
throughout the faculty and staff as
well as through the new leadership
on campus,” Burger said. “We are
investing in areas that will increase
Southwestern’s visibility as a singular
academic and intellectual experience
unlike anything else in Texas and
beyond.”
Along with overseeing changes to
the Paideia curriculum and the university
relations department, Burger’s first
years in office were spent restructuring
the school’s budget, which had been
operating at a deficit.
“Because of a lot of very difficult
decisions that were made by president
Burger, the senior leadership and our
trustees, the budgetary issues have been
resolved. We cut significantly; we got
things not only back into balance but
also moving into the right direction,”
said Paul Secord, vice president of
university relations. “Even during the
times of budgetary shortfalls we weren’t
a failing university. We were spending
more money than we had, and you can’t
do that for very long without getting
yourself into trouble.”
Secord joined the university June 1.
At the end of the 2012-13 school
year the university had a structural
operating budget deficit. Burger said
David Weaver/Community Impact Newspaper
during his first year he focused on learning
about the university’s budget and
identifying ways to correct issues that led
to the deficit.
“We worked collaboratively, across
campus, to find solutions and opportunities
that improved our operations,”
he said.
In 2014 the university cut 11 positions,
including some unfilled positions, and
began restructuring departments to help
move forward with achieving goals set in
its 10-year strategic plan adopted in the
2010-11 school year, Burger said.
Burger said many changes in leadership
came from people retiring and
being promoted.
“Each time a senior staff member
announced his or her desire to retire,
we looked very closely at the current
needs of the university and identified
key directions in which new leadership
could help us move toward those strategic
goals,” he said.
Full story by Beth Wade
David Weaver/Community Impact Newspaper
Senior resources rise
CEDAR PARK For 40 years Chuck
and Elaine Schmitz lived in their
house in Texas City near Galveston.
But as they grew older they said
they found upkeep of their home
growing more troublesome and
decided to move to Cedar Park to
be closer to their daughter, Nancy
LaSpina, a teacher in Leander ISD. In
2014 the Schmitzes settled into their
new apartment at Lakeline Oaks, a
luxury retirement community located
about 2 miles from their daughter.
“She’s the reason we’re here,” Elaine
Schmitz said.
The Schmitzes are part of a trend
within the fastest-growing population
segment in Central Texas—seniors
age 65 and older who move to the
state, often to be nearer to younger
family members.
Williamson County’s senior population
grew from 37,681 residents
in 2010 to 44,991 residents in 2014,
a growth rate of about 19.4 percent,
according to the Texas State Data
Center. The office projects Williamson
County will have more than 70,000
senior residents by 2025 and almost
99,000 senior residents by 2035—
which would be more than double the
county’s current senior population.
In response to demand, developers
are planning more senior luxury
apartment communities and memory-care
facilities in Cedar Park and
Leander. But some senior residents
said they are finding fewer non-luxury
living options, such as apartments
that do not have on-site health care
options and allow residents independent
living.
In Cedar Park, Mayor Matt Powell
said city leaders welcome new senior
residents.
“As we’re watching our demographics
shift here in Cedar Park, you can’t
offer this sort of quality of life and not
expect people to want to move here,”
Powell said July 9.
Full story by Stephen Burnett
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