UCFS Members Vote Today!

2025 UCFS Board of Directors Election

UCFS members are asked to vote for Vice President and two at-large seats. Voting closes on October 6, 2025 at midnight Central Time.

Scroll to read more about each candidate, and then vote!

UCFS Board of Directors Election

After a successful call for nominations to the Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) Board of Directors, members are now asked to vote for:

  • One Vice President
  • Two At-Large Executive Board Seats

The UCFS Board represents the membership of the organization, charts the organization’s strategic direction, provides governance oversight, and ensures a strong financial position. Overall, the Board works hard to deliver on the mission to grow the competence, confidence, and camaraderie of all professionals who grow and care for community forests.

UCFS Strategic Direction

To prepare for your vote, please take a look at UCFS Strategic Plan. Board members are charged with ensuring the organization meets these goals, which are meant to help members learn and grow as professionals and to help expand the understanding of urban forestry as a profession. UCFS also seeks to add geographic and demographic diversity to the board.

Qualifications

According to the UCFS Bylaws, to qualify for a Board position, the nominee must meet the following requirements. The UCFS Executive Director and Nominations Committee have verified that all nominees do meet these requirements.

  • Be a member in good standing for the last three years, AND
  • Have participated in or attended a UCFS-related activity such as
    • The UCFS Annual Meeting/Conference (at least one of the past two), or
    • The Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI), or
    • Service on a committee within the past two years.

Get to Know the Candidates

Take a moment to learn more about each of the candidates running for UCFS Board service. There are two candidates for Vice President and five candidates running for two at-large board seats.

Click Learn More next to each person to read about their background, experience, and how they see their strengths helping lead the organization. Each candidate has also recorded a brief video sharing their inspiration for running and what they hope to give back to members. Each item will open in a new tab. After completing your review, please proceed to the ballot, linked below, to login and cast your vote.

Vice President Candidates - Vote for One

Darren Green

Landscape Architect
City of Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana

Emily King

Urban Forester
City of Austin
Austin, Texas

At-Large Executive Board Candidates - Vote for Two

Steven Eyster

Urban Planner II
City of Tampa
Tampa, Florida

Jamie Lim

Urban Forest Manager
Seattle Parks and Recreation 
Seattle, Washington

Michael Martini

Director of Urban and Community Forestry-U.S.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Travis Stokes

Arboriculture Supervisor
City of Springfield, Missouri
Rogersville, Missouri

Steven Traylor

City Forester
City of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia

Preston Goodman

Municipal Forester
City of Henderson
Henderson, Nevada 

By clicking the button above, you’ll be taken to a form where you’ll login as a member. From there, you can cast your vote. The election closes on October 6, 2025 at midnight Central Time.

2026 UCFS Pre-Conference Tour

St. Louis Through the Trees

Monday, November 16 from 1:00-4:00pm

To join us, add the tour with your registration!

Before conference sessions begin, join fellow urban and community forestry professionals for a guided tour of St. Louis that explores the city’s urban forest through the lens of history, resilience, equity, and community investment. From iconic parks to neighborhoods experiencing both environmental challenges and revitalization, you’ll discover how planning decisions, natural disaster recovery, and community partnerships are shaping a healthier, more equitable future.

Our journey begins at Brickline Greenway near Energizer Park, where an ambitious green infrastructure vision is reconnecting neighborhoods and expanding access to greenspace. From there, we’ll travel through the iconic Forest Park to explore the legacy of one of America’s great urban parks and the stewardship practices that continue to make it a model for urban forestry and public space.

As we travel through St. Louis neighborhoods, we’ll view the city’s history through its trees. We will see firsthand how communities are restoring and reimagining their urban forests through community-driven initiatives that are reversing damage from recent devastating tornado and the legacy of historic redlining and its influence on tree canopy distribution.

Along the way, we’ll stop at O’Fallon Park to explore ongoing restoration and neighborhood revitalization efforts before concluding at Kiener Plaza Park, where thoughtful landscape design and thriving urban greenspace showcase the power of trees to create welcoming, resilient downtown environments.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see examples of these critical urban forestry practices:

  • Public/private fundraising efforts
  • Public/private maintenance and operations contracts
  • Place-based community engagement
  • Tornado response and recovery
  • Navigating federal transportation grants
  • Managing native prairie landscaping and urban woodlands
  • Contract tree growing
  • Silva cell installation
  • CU-structural soil use


More than a sightseeing tour, this is an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, exchange ideas, and connect with colleagues who share a passion for building stronger urban forests. Come see St. Louis through a new lens and leave inspired with innovative ideas and practical insights.

Special Guests:

We’ll be joined on the tour by guest speakers from the City of St. Louis Forestry, Great Rivers Greenway, and Forest ReLeaf who will share insider perspectives on organizational collaboration.