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Chief Public Affairs Officer | IndyGo
This isn’t Lesley Gordon’s first Forty Under 40 list. She also made Mass Transit Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list last year after her communications staff nominated her. Together, the team won the 2023 Women’s Transportation Seminar Innovative Transportation Solutions Award for their Purple Line public outreach campaign. Gordon is responsible for all communications, marketing, website, social media, advertising and outreach for IndyGo. “Our attendance at various community meetings has made all the difference in the public’s perception of IndyGo,” said Interim President and CEO Jennifer Pyrz. Gordon has gained a reputation for pulling off big ideas with equal parts style and substance. She arranged for the reveal of IndyGo’s hybrid electric bus on Monument Circle with smoke machines and a light show. Another example of her creative muscle is IndyGo Cares, a program that lets community partners bring free locally grown produce, health care services and musical performances on board.
Getting here: Originally, she wanted to be a dentist. Then she moved into sales and was given a chance to try out communications—she enjoyed the work and learned quickly. She worked in strategic communications for the Indiana Office of Attorney General, the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and the Indiana State Fair Commission. A passionate advocate for public transit, Gordon attended a community meeting for the Purple Line, introduced herself to then-CEO Inez Evans and shared her enthusiasm—plus ideas to improve IndyGo’s community outreach. It wasn’t long before the IndyGo team reached out to offer her a job.
First job: Cart attendant at Kroger
Givebacks: Board member, IndyHub, GangGang and Downtown Indy Inc. She was parking and transportation co-chair for the NBA All-Star Host Committee
Influential moment: Handling communications for the Department of Public Works during the polar vortex of 2014. “As the public information officer, I was on the news every day for a month, and while it was grueling, I learned so much about my capabilities professionally. I believe a lot of my get-it-done mentality was honed during that period. I also realized my sense of style and the power it has on your brand.”
Advice: “Keep learning and trust your gut.”•
Check out more Forty Under 40 honorees.
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