Priscilla Files

Priscilla Files is the Senior Arborist and Executive Director of the Galveston Island Tree Conservancy (GITC). She’s a Certified
Arborist and has a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture from Texas A&M. She has worked for Extension Horticulture at the TAMU Horticultural Gardens and for The University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center in Tucson. She has also worked in the landscape industry in both Texas and Arizona and thinks it’s hard to beat a gig planting trees on Galveston Island!

Recovering after a disaster isn’t only about restoring homes, businesses and hard infrastructure, it’s also about recovering the character of a community. Since its inception in 2009 after Hurricane Ike, GITC has distributed and planted over 23,600 trees towards its 25,000-tree goal. Working in a close relationship with the City of Galveston GITC has become the de facto urban forestry program for the Island. GITC advocates for trees as vital infrastructure for the city, economic engines for businesses and tourism, drivers for increased values on homes and properties, and community builders in neighborhoods.