T&B Planning, Inc. announces the retirement of Joel Morse, a respected and esteemed partner and leader for the past 19 years. We deeply value his 24 years of dedicated service and his significant contributions to our firm. We encourage you to read his farewell letter, where he shares his reflections on his career with T&B Planning, Inc.

A note of farewell to the T&B Team, our clients and colleagues:

What a long, strange & wonderful trip it’s been!

I will be retiring from T&B Planning on January 15, 2025, after a 24-year career at the firm including 19 years as a partner and owner. Given this monumental occasion, this letter holds a few departing thoughts.

My journey in planning was never about the destination; it’s always been about the talented and hardworking people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, the communities we’ve created, and the challenges we’ve overcome along the way.

In the summer of 1982, I arrived in Seal Beach with a degree in Geography & Environmental Studies, with the intention of checking out California for a couple of years before heading back to New York. So much for that plan! In 1985, I sent my resume to the County of San Bernardino in response to a “Planners Wanted” ad in the Orange County Register and I was hired as a planner. Back then, I had no idea that I’d be embarking on an incredible, 30-year planning career.  After leaving the public sector and spending a few years running a small business, I joined T&B Planning as a Project Manager in February 2000.  I was fortunate to arrive at the right place, at the right time and with the right skill set. With the trust and support of the company and our clients, I became a Principal and partner/owner in 2004.

During the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, the industry experienced a significant economic downturn, and the other owners decided to move on, creating the opportunity for Tracy Zinn and I to become business partners. During that period, we shrunk the company from about 35 employees to five, took some calculated risks, and committed to establishing a new foundation for T&B Planning.  With the support of a handful of clients, we committed to stay in business, diversify our services, and rebuild a strong company that would stand the test of time.

Over the next 15 years, Tracy and I experienced a successful and extremely enjoyable and rewarding partnership. We continued serving our traditional residential clients, expanded into the industrial development space, created a Development Services Division and grew the staff (now 31) with seasoned professionals and talented industry newcomers. My respect, admiration and appreciation for Tracy as a person and business partner increased every day and I feel very lucky to have had this unique relationship with her.

As I started to move out of ownership in preparation for my retirement, Nicole Morse, Esq. (no relation) became an equity partner. Since 2023, Tracy and Nicole have been running the company as a woman-owned business enterprise supported by experienced senior managers and staff whose professional talents are unmatched in the industry. T&B Planning has an incredibly capable leadership team and staff of planners, analysts, entitlement coordinators, and development associates that will continue moving the firm into its 51^st year in business and beyond.

As I step away from the industry to start the next chapter of my life, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the clients, colleagues, co-workers and friends I’ve met over these many years. I also deeply appreciate the relationships formed with technical experts and the staff members at Riverside County and the many cities of the Inland Empire.  It’s been my pleasure to assist clients in achieving their goals and moving their projects from concept, to entitlement, to construction-readiness.  My greatest reward is knowing that the communities we planned together are thriving and will be a legacy of our hard work.

Finally, it has been my honor and privilege to work alongside and mentor an incredible group of young professionals at T&B Planning. I thank each of them for their commitment to our company’s mission and contributions to our collective success. It is my hope that I have had as much influence on them as they have had on me. The places that they will continue to plan and prepare for construction beyond my tenure will continue to bring me joy.  Our staff working behind the scenes made me look good over the years and allowed our clients to reach heights they could have never achieved alone.  The spirit of teamwork and professional growth of our team has been, and always will be, greatly admired and appreciated.

Peace.

Principal Emeritus, T&B Planning, Inc.