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city planning consultants

"bringing the independent contractor directly to you"

| how we began

Romo Planning Group was founded by Mr. Gustavo Romo in 2001 after he received his Masters of Business Administration degree and worked as a City Planner for over 10 years.  Since 2001, RPG has contracted with cities, counties, and private planning firms with the idea of bringing the independent contractor directly to public agencies.  Initially, the intent of the company was to provide land use entitlement services to developers and wireless telecommunication providers.  However, in a short period, they found a need serving Southern California jurisdictions with project managers and interim staff planners and have since provided assistance to more than 30 communities at various capacities with the help of several team members, including project managers, directors, managers, case planners, and administrative staff.

 

| OUR team

Administrative team

Elizabeth Romo | Owner/Corporate Secretary

Joanne Rumpler | Administrative Assistant: Ms. Rumpler is RPG’s contract coordinator and staff assistant.  She has worked as an employee for local government Planning Departments for many years and began assisting RPG after retiring from local government.  She is very familiar with the Planning field and is very adept in Microsoft Office software, contract negotiation, and invoicing procedures.

STAFF - environmental review and processing

Ernest Perea | Principal Environmental Planner: Mr. Perea has over 37 years of Land Use Planning and CEQA experience in both the public and private sectors. He is the author of the Guide to the CEQA Initial Study Checklist that was awarded the "Environmental Resource Merit Award” by the California Association of Environmental Planners and was also used as a text book at Humboldt State University. Mr. Perea earned his B.S. Urban Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in 1982. He is the former Acting Planning Director for the City of Fontana and the former Planning Manager for the City of Murrieta.   Mr. Perea is responsible for preparing CEQA documents such as Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, and Environmental Impact Reports.

Marie Gilliam | Principal Environmental Planner: Ms. Gilliam has over 40 years of diverse experience in environmental, land use and policy planning in the public and private sectors.  Her foundation of technical knowledge dates from the inception of CEQA, NEPA and other major federal and state environmental and planning laws in the early 1970s.  During her extensive professional career, Marie has worked for both municipal and county agencies acquiring valuable experience in many policy planning programs including all major General Plan elements; community plans; coastal and hillside land use planning; growth management; analysis of urban services, infrastructure and development capacity issues; comprehensive environmental planning/impact assessment as well as a wide range of regulatory and entitlement issues.  During her career, Marie has managed or participated in over 25 comprehensive land use and policy planning projects; 30 land development projects of all types, as well as many other specialized projects.

Jim Morrissey | Principal Environmental Planner: Mr. Morrissey has over 31 years of supervisory experience in the public and private sectors.  He has been a Planning Director or Interim Community Development Director in 4 cities and has over 8 years of experience working with several Inland Empire planning/engineering companies; experience in the preparation/evaluation of general plans, specific plans, zoning and subdivision ordinances, environmental impact reports, negative declarations, redevelopment plans, and development projects; and has managed planning and public works related projects, including specific plans, development projects, environmental analysis, feasibility studies, permit processing, citizen involvement programs, and grants.

George Wirtes | Biologist: Mr. Wirtes has a Master’s of Science degree in Environmental Science and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology; both awarded by California State University, Fullerton. Mr. Wirtes is on the list of Approved Biologists with the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. He is also listed as a California Desert Native Plant Expert with the County of San Bernardino and is an ISA Certified Arborist.

Kevin Carr | REA: Mr. Carr has over 32 years of environmental experience with a focus on preparing Environmental Assessment documents for County and City Governments to include assessing public and environmental safety issues, Air Quality and Noise Studies.  Mr. Carr conducts CEQA Air Quality Studies and air quality modeling using CalEEMod, URBEMIS, Caline4, OnRoad, and EMFAC on proposed projects for development to determine the environmental impacts to air quality and project compliance with CEQA.  He also conducts CEQA & General Noise Studies using Sound Level Monitoring Equipment and noise modeling software including LEQV2, TNM Lookup Tables, and Sound 2000 on proposed projects for development to determine the environmental impacts from traffic, construction, man-made, and drive-thru operation generated noise.

Mr. Carr is a graduate of Columbia Southern University Candidate Masters of Science Occupational Safety & Health/Environmental Management.  He is also a graduate of the University of Phoenix Bachelor of Science, Business Management. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree with an Environmental Focus.

 

STAFF - land use entitlement project management

Reuben Arceo | Director of SMARA Services: Mr. Arceo is a professional urban planner with proven success in planning, environmental applications (CEQA/NEPA), SMARA, economic development, engineering, building, budgets and understanding of municipal operations. He excels in communication, public presentations, and report writing.  Mr. Arceo has over 30 years of experience in city planning and retired from the City of La Mirada as Community Development Director in 2012. Notable projects include his work with the County of San Bernardino as SMARA Project Manager and the City of Banning as Project Manager for the San Gorgonio Specific Plan.

Jennifer Davis | Principal Planner: Ms. Davis is a a seasoned planner with strong presentation skills and over 30 years of planning and economic development experience through her work in Southern California and London, England. She is currently providing project management services for the City of Claremont, including significant projects located within the Claremont Colleges campus. Ms. Davis served as both the Director of Community Development and the Economic Development Manager for the City of San Gabriel. Additionally, Ms. Davis served as the Regeneration and Conservation Project Manager for the London Borough of Haringey where the regeneration project she managed won a strategic planning award. She was also a Senior Planner for the City of West Hollywood for 11 years and lead planner on some of the largest and most controversial projects in that City.

Maryann Marks | Principal Planner: Ms. Marks brings over 20 years of experience in municipal urban planning. She has managed and supervised planning division activities and staff with extensive current and long-range planning experience. She has served as project manager for comprehensive Zoning Code Updates, amendments and large-scale commercial and residential developments. Additionally, she has authored and implemented Specific Plans, developed General Plans and amendments, reviewed proposed planning applications for compliance and coordinated efficient review of planning applications with various City Departments, architects, developers and attorneys. She is the recipient of several awards for outstanding planning and document production efforts. Her specific skill sets include:  Project Management, Specific Plans, Design Guidelines, Zoning Code Updates, General Plan Updates. Public Relations and Communications.

Mark DeManincor | Principal Planner: Mr. Mark DeManincor has been a city planner for 14 years.  He started his career in the City of Adelanto as an intern after graduating from Cal State University, San Bernardino.  He grew with the City and advanced to Senior Planner in 2012 and Planning Manager in 2016 until the City decided to trim its budget and contract the Planning Department in order to manage its deficit.  Mr. de Manincor is a retired veteran from the United States Air Force.  He is a very diligent and personable individual that adapts quickly to new environments.  He is very familiar with all aspects of City Planning and managed to keep the Adelanto Planning Department afloat with a very small staff for many years.  In addition to his experience as a City Planner, his former experience as a site manager and jet engine mechanic have given him the skills and patience to ensure projects are vetted through the proper channels and maintained with high quality.

Lisa Edwards | Principal Planner: Ms. Edwards is a professional urban planner with over 20 years of experience in current and advanced planning, environmental planning, and overall project management for various land use entitlement applications, including subdivision maps, specific plans, conditional use permits, variances, and General Plan and zoning code amendments.  She has is skilled in public speaking and report writing and has prepared presentations before Boards of Supervisors, City Councils, Planning Commissions, and Zoning Administrators; facilitated neighborhood meetings for city-related projects as well represented neighborhood coalitions; coordinated with various State and local agencies in processing development permits; facilitated public outreach and composed specific Elements for General Plan updates; participated in SCAG corridor study for Livable Communities; and analyzed Historic Preservation applications.

Erick Saavedra | Assistant/Associate Planner: Mr. Saavedra is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona University in the field of Urban and Regional Planning. He started as a Project Manager for a construction company in 2012 while interning with RPG, ESR Designs, and Quality Material Handling in an effort to gain both public and private sector experience.  He then joined RPG in 2016 and has been employed as an Assistant Planner.  He is a very personable individual that adapts quickly to new environments.  He has become very familiar with the steps necessary to obtain land use entitlement approvals and manage public counters.  He is capable of conducting preliminary review of plans to ensure compliance with zoning and General Plan land use designations and can relate city planning and building terms to non-English speakers in a very efficient manner.

STAFF - building & safety services

Joe Rosales | Building Inspector/Plan Checker: Mr. Rosales is a retired building services professional.  He served as a Senior Building Inspector for the City of Los Angeles from 1984 to 2000 and then went on to the private sector.  He is contracted as a Building Inspector to Southern California and can serve in any capacity needed, be it permit technician, inspector, or plan checker.  Mr. Rosales is a very reliable and courteous professional with the utmost consideration for customer service.

RESUMES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

| INSURANCE COVERAGE

Full Professional & Commercial Liability through Heffernan (Policy 1U40950)

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