Thomas G. MerrellPresident

Tom Merrell, CSI President and founder, completed twenty-eight years of public service when he retired from the City of San Juan Capistrano in 1991 to establish a private consulting practice. During his fifteen years as the city’s Director of Community Planning and Development, Tom developed expertise in all aspects of planning and public administration including long range physical and policy planning, building and safety administration, citizen participation, redevelopment, growth management and environmental preservation.  He started his career in professional planning with the County of Orange. When he served as Planning Manager for the City of Garden Grove for six years, he supervised zoning code enforcement and current planning, and worked extensively with the redevelopment process to beautify Garden Grove Boulevard and create a new Civic Center.

He currently oversees the daily operations for the firm and is active in consulting, including assessment of planning and community development department public relations.  He served for nine years (2011 – 2020) as the Planning Director for the City of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County under the firm’s contract to provide all planning department services.