REAL ESTATE : 2 Top Executives of Santa Margarita Co. Plan Retirements
Big doings at the ranch: the Santa Margarita Co., developer of the 5,000-acre planned community of Rancho Santa Margarita, is losing two of its top executives with the impending retirements of Thomas C. Blum, executive vice president, and Richard A. Reese, senior vice president for planning.
That the two men are stepping down at almost the same time is coincidence, not a result of the recession, company officials say.
Blum, 60, is retiring at the end of the month. He will be ending a 20-year run with the privately owned company, which oversees management and development of the 40,000-acre Rancho Mission Viejo. The ranch is Orange County’s second-largest land holding and the site of the Rancho Santa Margarita community.
Reese, 65, is also retiring at the end of the month. He has been head of planning for Santa Margarita Co. since 1979 and is credited with developing the basic “balanced urban village” concept that was used in designing Rancho Santa Margarita. His idea was for a community that integrates industrial, commercial and retail development with a variety of housing in an effort to make homes available to people who hold the jobs in the community--not just to the people who own the companies.
Company insiders say that Blum and Reese’s duties will be delegated, with company President Anthony R. Moiso and longtime senior vice presidents Donald Moe and Rick Neiman shouldering most of the responsibilities.
Before joining Santa Margarita Co., Reese was vice president of planning for the Irvine Co. from 1965 to 1979. From 1957 through 1964 he was planning director for the city of Anaheim.
Blum was director of planning and engineering for the Mission Viejo Co. from 1971 until joining the Santa Margarita Co. in 1973. He has been responsible for all real estate planning, land sales and development operations at Rancho Mission Viejo.
