Changes are coming to the County of Tulare’s Resource Management Agency (RMA). The Planning team is saying farewell to Susan Simon as she retires from the County of Tulare following 16 years of service. At the same time, a the RMA is welcoming newer team members into planning.
During her time at the RMA, Susan accomplished many things and has been recognized for her efforts, including awards from the Central Valley Section of the California American Planning Association (CAPA) for the planning of 17 communities in Tulare County. She was also the runner-up for the CAPA Outreach award. Susan’s accomplishments include the planning and management work for over 40 complete street projects, the development of the Kingsburg Area Plan, and the update to the Cutler-Orosi Community Plan. The RMA is extremely grateful for Susan’s efforts and her leadership over the years, working on everything from environmental documents to permit work and, most recently, completing our County Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Enjoying her own career successes, Susan was also pivotal in mentoring newer planners, including Russell Kashiwa and Emily Gage. That mentorship has gone a long way, with Emily being recognized by staff as one of our best employees last year. We are confident Susan’s passion, hard work, great customer service, and desire to get things done are being passed on.
As Susan retires, the RMA team has been reflecting on the trajectory of her career here. Susan embarked on her journey with the RMA on September 11, 2001, marking the beginning of a successful and distinguished career in planning.
Starting as a Planning Technician I in the Project Review Division, Susan adeptly managed tasks ranging from preparing special use permits to processing permits at the Permit Counter, along with handling lot-line adjustments, tentative parcel maps, and certificates of compliance.
Over the ensuing six years, Susan progressed to the role of Planner II, specializing in the meticulous preparation of subdivision maps and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental documents, including initial studies (IS) and mitigated negative declarations (MND), all while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in 2007.
In 2007, Susan transitioned to the City of Tulare’s Planning Department as an Associate Planner, deepening her expertise in municipal planning. Returning to the RMA Planning Department in 2014, Susan assumed the role of Planner III in the Environment Review Division. Here, she focused on crafting critical environmental documents such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs).
Susan’s commitment to community welfare became evident as she led transformational initiatives such as the development of Community Plans for 36 unincorporated areas, and eight Complete
Street Plans, engaging extensively with the public across Tulare County. Progressing to Planner IV, Susan undertook pivotal responsibilities as the project manager for the Tulare County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Her leadership facilitated collaboration with unincorporated communities and eight incorporated cities to successfully develop and gain approval for the plan from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in April 2023.
In addition to her planning roles, Susan distinguished herself as a Commissioner on both the Tulare County Water Commission and the Tulare County Flood Control District, embodying a steadfast commitment to public service and community resilience.
To date, Susan has dedicated more than 23 years to the planning field, with more than 16 years of experience directly with Tulare County RMA. Now that Susan will have more time on her hands, she plans to spend it traveling, gardening and participating in church group activities.
Thank you for your many years of service in the public sector here in Tulare County, Susan. We wish you the best in your retirement!
Russell Kashiwa started his path to planning as an Office Assistant III with the Tulare County Economic Development Department on May 29, 2017. His first task for the County was organizing the County’s bottled water program filing system. After two weeks, he transitioned over to the Permit Center, where he was asked to scan and archive old building permits and planning projects and get his first exposure to Planning.
Over the next four months of working with the Permit Center, Russell was tasked with project processing. His background was in Customer Service and Retail and he had no experience working as a planner. His first assignment was a lot line adjustment, and after much mentoring and training, he moved onto other administrative projects, such as Minor Modifications and Minor Deviations as a Planning Technician II.
In 2018 he decided to complete his higher education and went back to school, as Fresno State had just reopened the degree for City and Regional Planning. Starting back at College of the Sequoias and working to get into Fresno State, Rusell received his Bachelor’s in the Fall of 2022 with a 4.0 GPA.
During his time back at school, Russell continued working with the County to expand his experience with different types of planning projects such as Temporary Use Permits, Special Use Permits, and Certificates of Compliance. In 2021, he would be assigned his first project that would go before the Tulare County Planning Commission. Russell would be the first Planning Technician allowed to present a project before the Planning Commission.
During 2021, Russell also worked with the Tulare County Environmental Planning Department where he learned about preparing CEQA documents. Here he was tasked with assisting in Tribal Consultations and fulfilling SB-18 and AB-52 requirements. He also assisted with running CNDDB reports and drafting various Expanded Categorical Exemptions.
In 2022, Russell was promoted to Planner I and Planner II in 2023, where he continues to work on increasingly complex projects. Russell has recently taken over the County’s Commercial River Rafting program and has completed several zone changes and subdivision maps. He has also taken over the role as Lead Planner for both the Tulare County Prohousing Designation Program (which was awarded in December of 2023), the Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) ordinance, and the Tulare County Housing Element.
Russell continues to strive for excellent customer service and assisting the public. To date, Russell has completed 488 project reviews throughout the County. When he is not working on County projects, Russell can be found traveling, spending time with family and enjoying game nights with friends.
Emily Gage started her journey with Tulare County RMA on October 24, 2022, marking the beginning of her career in planning.
During her freshman year of high school, Emily took a Geography class where she met the teacher who inspired her to pursue the study of Geography and City and Regional Planning when she went off to college. Emily began attending Fresno State in the Fall of 2020 and graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in the Summer of 2022.
Starting as a Planner I, Emily progressed to the role of Planner II in one year. Over that year she gained experience in handling and processing tentative parcel maps, lot-line adjustments, and special use permits. Emily continued to grow her abilities with various projects she was assigned and eventually progressed to presenting more complicated projects to the Tulare County Planning Commission.
As she grew her ability for project processing, she also became more involved in long-range planning, specifically in her work on the Tulare County Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) update. The LHMP is a plan required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which is updated for the County every five years. This plan includes in-depth information on the County’s vulnerability to various hazards and their historical impacts. This plan requires communication between stakeholders and different jurisdictions within Tulare County, and Emily has had the opportunity to learn from Susan Simon, Planner IV, on how to facilitate collaboration with unincorporated communities and incorporated cities to develop and gain approval for the plan from the CalOES and FEMA.
Community engagement is often critical in the construction of long-range plans. Emily became involved in community outreach in March of 2023 for the Environmental Justice Element, Housing Element, and Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan, and has continued participating in outreach events with more responsibility and within a leadership role. In 2024, the projects Emily and the Outreach Team focused on have been for the LHMP and the Active Transportation Program (ATP). She has created posterboards and surveys which have simplified the process for the public to give their opinions and suggestions and participate in the long-range planning process.
In October, Emily will have completed two years of work with the County of Tulare. In this short time, she has gained an abundance of experience in the planning field. She is excited to continue to learn and grow as she works for the Resource Management Agency. In her free time, Emily enjoys watching anime, sewing, and crocheting.
To learn more about the RMA's Planning Division, please visit its webpage. For any questions, please email rma@tularecounty.ca.gov or call (559) 624-7000.