In Memoriam: Lenay Gore, Retired APTA Senior Director, Meetings & Trade Shows

The public transportation community is mourning the loss of Lenay Gore, retired APTA senior director of meetings and trade shows whose dedication and professionalism left an enduring mark on the association and the industry it serves.

Gore joined APTA in 2008 as director of meetings and conventions and quickly became a driving force behind the association’s signature events. In 2016, she was promoted to senior director of meetings and trade shows, a role she held until her retirement in 2022. In that position, she oversaw contracting, sponsorship and exhibit sales, budgeting, and member satisfaction for APTA’s broad portfolio of meetings, including the association’s award-winning Annual Meeting and triennial EXPO.

Colleagues and industry partners alike knew Gore for her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to bring people together. Her leadership helped ensure that APTA’s events remained among the most respected and well-attended gatherings in the public transportation industry, serving as vital forums for collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.

Beyond her operational leadership, Gore helped lead the association’s all-staff mentoring group and was a founding staff member of the APTA Diversity and Inclusion Council.

“The APTA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Lenay Gore,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “For more than 14 years, Lenay was the heart of our Meetings Department—someone whose warmth, dedication, and genuine care for people left a lasting impression on everyone she encountered, whether a colleague, member, or vendor partner. Lenay embodied the spirit of public transportation: service to others, connection to community, and a commitment that went far beyond the job. She will be missed, and her memory will live on in all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

After retiring from APTA in 2022, Gore remained engaged with the industry, working as an independent contractor specializing in sponsorship sales and exhibit operations.

Before joining APTA, Gore built an accomplished career in the meetings and events industry. She served as director of national accounts for the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, director of business development for IEP-MPG (now PRG), and director of national sales for the Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation (now Destination DC).

Her contributions to the field were widely recognized. In 2009, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) presented Gore with its Distinguished Service Award. In 2022, IAEE honored her with the Woman of Achievement Award, recognizing her leadership in advancing women in the exhibitions and events industry and her significant contributions to the profession and her community.

She was also an active member of the Professional Convention Management Association and a member of the PCMA Foundation Legacy Society.

Gore’s legacy lives on in the events she helped build, the colleagues she mentored, and the many friendships she formed across the industry.