Biography
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Gail earned an MBA at the University of Hawaii and later moved to Houston in 1984 to work as a financial planning analyst for Continental Airlines. In 1992, she graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and passed the bar. After a year at the First Court of Appeals as a briefing attorney, Gail worked at the Montgomery and Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Offices as a criminal appellate attorney. She retired at the end of 2018 and became a certified Texas Master Naturalist with the Heartwood Chapter in 2019. Gail helped start the Pines and Prairies Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas in December 2020, and served as the Chapter’s President from February 2021 to February 2024. During her tenure as President, and with the help of Michael Eason, then VP-Chapter Liaison; Martin Simonton, owner of New World Botanical; and botanical advisors Adam Black, Don Dubois, Kathie Herrick, and Anita Tiller; and with the support of then Heartwood Chapter President Carolyn Langlinais and Carol Childres, then Nursery Manager and the late John Ferguson, then owner of Nature’s Way Resources and many others, the Pines and Prairies Chapter grew to over 200 members, held five plant sales, held a First Anniversary Celebration with speakers and a native garden planting, conducted plant rescues and field trips, started a work and learn program, attended numerous outreach events, and customized and presented Levels 1 and 3 of the Native Landscape Certification Program. Pines and Prairies Chapter was named Chapter of the Year 2022-23. A perpetual student and professed workaholic, Gail wants to work together with the Chapters to increase the use and availability of native plants to retail nurseries, large scale landscape projects, new developments, and city initiatives; to involve more young persons in our educational and garden projects; and to provide maintenance training to government entities and companies to improve the care of native plant installations.