Kala French of Kalispell is only 20, but she's taking on Social Security.

French has teamed up with Generations Together, a program that advocates reforming Social Security by adding voluntary personal retirement accounts while not disrupting the benefits of those currently drawing or about to draw Social Security benefits.

"I think a lot of times, for my generation," she says, "that we look so much at the here and now that we don't think about the long term."

In the past few months French, the student member of the Montana Board of Regents, has visited college campuses to talk with students about Social Security reform.

She plans to volunteer with the organization a few hours each month.

Many people her age, such as her peers at Montana State University where she's a political science and business major, might not list Social Security as a priority.

But they should, she says.

"They're real issues that affect my generation," she says.

Social Security will be in bad shape by the time French and her peers retire if it's not reformed, so she and others her age need to push for change, she says.

French says she's a Republican but that on this issue she doesn't favor a specific plan.

But she does think voluntary personal savings and investment accounts (which have been touted by President Bush) are crucial to successful reform, French says.

Generations Together is a program of the nonprofit organization Coalition for the Modernization and Protection of America's Social Security that advocates and aims to educate the public on Social Security reform.

Early this year French's appointment to the Board of Regents by then-Gov. Judy Martz was the center of a controversy involving her past lobbyist activities.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer objected to French's appointment because at the time she was a registered lobbyist for the Montana University System and the Montana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association.

The governor said the affiliations could appear to be conflicts of interest for a regent.

French dropped her lobbyist status and agreed to shorten her term to 18 months rather than fulfill the three-year term to which Martz appointed her. She resigns Dec. 31, 2005.

French is the daughter of Burl and Debby French of Kalispell. The Frenches own Northwest Fuel Systems.

Reporter Camden Easterling can be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@dailyinterlake.com