Planning Issues In Depth

Central Coast Planning Professionals Making Moves & Defying the Economic Downturn

LOCAL PLANNERS ON THE MOVE

Hollee L. King, AICP

Hollee L. King, AICP, has started her own planning consulting firm, SitesPacific, Inc. Her firm does contract planning work for public agencies and private land use entitlement planning. Hollee has worked for 18 years in both public and private sector planning. Her experience includes project management of discretionary planning projects, ordinance amendments, environmental review analysis, advanced planning, LAFCO, COG, and APCD experience, staff management, contract procurement and management, entitlement planning, and extensive public outreach. Hollee also provides training to graduate students and entry-level staff planners on resume writing, style, and structure and career building. Hollee has served as Awards Chair/Events Officer for the Central Coast APA Board for the past five years. She has also served on four APACA conference committees.

Greg Martin, MCRP, AICP

Rincon Consultants, Inc., is pleased to welcome Greg Martin, MCRP, AICP, to our staff. He will be working as a Senior Planner out of the Ventura office and will be assisting on a variety of CEQA and NEPA documents. Greg earned an MCRP in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He has over five years experience in environmental consulting and urban planning. He previously worked for a consulting firm in Visalia and, most recently, was employed as an Associate Planner for the City of Selma in Fresno County. Greg has a background in preparation and project management of CEQA and NEPA documents such as Initial Studies and EIRs. His experience also includes work on General Plans (including Housing Elements), Zoning Ordinances, Redevelopment Plans, and municipal entitlement processing.

Brian Baca

Brian Baca has filled the position of Manager of the Residential Permitting Section for the Ventura County Planning Division effective June 1st. Brian received his Bachelors degree from the California State University , Northridge with a degree in Geology and his Masters degree from the University of California Santa Barbara in Geological Sciences. Brian most recently worked as the Chief of the Project Planning Division for the County of San Diego and has also worked for the County of Santa Barbara and the County of El Dorado. He has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of planning and in addition, is a Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist as well as a Certified Hydrogeologist and sits on the State Mining & Geology Board.

 

Ebony McGee

Ebony McGee has filled the SMARA Program Coordinator position for the Ventura County Planning Division effective June 1st.  Ebony received her Bachelors degree from the University of California Davis with a degree in Political Science and her Masters degree from Cal Poly Pomona in Urban & Regional Planning.  Ebony most recently worked as a contract senior planner for the City of Compton and has also worked at Hogle-Ireland, doing contact work for the County of Riverside, as the Project Manager and SMARA Planner for all surface mining projects.  Additionally Ebony is Vice President of the CA Chapter of Women in Mining and sits on the Executive Board of Directors for the Education Foundation of Women in Mining.

Derek Johnson

Derek Johnson, Santa Barbara County’s director of long-range planning, has taken a job in Capitola as community development director, succeeding Jamie Goldstein, who became city manager in July.  Johnson, 40, said he liked Capitola’s small-town feel, interest in maintaining environmental resources and balancing economic development. He served in the U.S. Army, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara, and started with the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District in Santa Barbara.

Rebecca Tannenbring

Clipper Wind has hired Rebecca Tannenbring, Bren Grad and former APA Board Member as a Development Consultant in the Strategic Project Development Department. She assists the group with new wind project site identification by conducting policy and market research/analysis.  She produces state/country assessments to help determine wind power market competition, constraints and political environment.

Melissa Tauber

Melissa Tauber has accepted a job with Capital Pacific Development Group in Santa Barbara, replacing Nicolas Gonzalez who is entering his first year of Law School at Tulane University next month.  Melissa is a graduate of Cal Poly’s City and Regional Planning program in San Luis Obispo and was an intern with the County’s Planning Department.  She will work in the Acquisition and Entitlement Department securing permits for their projects and clients.

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith, former Ventura Mayor, Councilman and land use consultant has left Alston & Bird to join Sepse Consulting.   Sandy Smith will be responsible for providing strategic analysis and counseling, comprehensive land use planning, project planning and entitlement, and public hearing strategy development and representation – at the local and state levels. In addition, Sandy has years of experience as a facilitator and mediator – specializing in collaborative community problem solving, neighborhood design, and land use dispute resolution.

Joel Delgado and Alexandra Ramstrum

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County is pleased to announce new staff members Alexandra Ramstrum as Development Associate and Joel Delgado as Assistant ReStore Manager. Both Alexandra and Joel work at HFH’s Goleta office, where the ReStore is also located.  Alexandra comes from the New York publishing world, where she worked on new book releases. Returning to her hometown of Santa Barbara gives her the opportunity to bring her skills to Habitat for Humanity’s fundraising activities.  Joel has lived in Santa Barbara since 1984, and worked in the floral industry in Carpinteria for many years. If you shop at the ReStore, you will very likely be greeted by Joel, and if you have usable building materials to donate, he will come pick them up for you…call 692-2226.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 6:00 pm and is filed under: People.