AAA Director Peggy Merritt

Peggy Merritt, as Director of the Upper Savannah Council of Governments, oversees the strategic procurement of services critical to the agency’s mission of delivering equitable, community-based support to vulnerable populations across South Carolina. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions centered on aging services, disability support, and workforce development programs funded under the Older Americans Act and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Her role involves evaluating, soliciting, and awarding contracts that ensure seamless delivery of in-home care, nutritional programs, and vocational rehabilitation services, aligning procurement decisions with federal compliance standards and regional operational needs. While no specific contractor relationships are currently documented, Merritt’s procurement pattern reflects a preference for established service providers with demonstrated capacity in social service delivery, particularly those experienced in Medicaid-compliant care coordination and federally funded community support initiatives. She engages vendors through competitive sealed bidding and request for proposal processes, prioritizing reliability, cultural competency, and scalability in service execution. Vendor partnerships are typically formed with organizations capable of deploying trained personnel across rural and underserved counties. Merritt’s contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under general competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on maximizing service quality and geographic reach over socioeconomic preferences, though the agency remains compliant with all federal small business participation requirements. Her approach prioritizes performance-based outcomes and operational efficiency, ensuring that limited resources deliver maximum impact to beneficiaries. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 624120 (Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities), encompassing home-based care, case management, and transportation services, alongside NAICS 722320 (Caterers), which supports congregate and home-delivered meal programs. Her technical expertise spans federal grant-funded service delivery models, Medicaid waiver program compliance, and performance metrics tied to federal reporting requirements under Title III and Title I of key legislation.