#USAgingHere4You: Melissa Gray

• By: USAging
• On: 07/10/2025 15:04:50
• In: Program Update

Melissa Gray joined USAging in January 2017 and now serves as Director of Transportation and Mobility. In this role, Melissa provides strategic leadership and oversight of program staff and operations, helping implement national initiatives that support accessible community transportation. She manages federal grants, directs communications strategies and collaborates with local, state and national partners to advance accessible mobility solutions that meet people where they are.
 
Melissa’s career path reflects her deep commitment to mission-driven work. Before coming to USAging, she worked at the Association of American Colleges and Universities on the Diversity, Equity and Student Success team. Her background also includes direct experience in the Aging Network at the local level in Washington, DC, and Austin, TX. While pursuing her Master of Science in Gerontology, Melissa became especially interested in the intersections of aging, universal design and livable communities—an interest that ultimately led her to USAging (then n4a).
 
She was drawn to the organization’s national reach and its focus on helping older adults remain independent, supported and connected to community. Over the years, she has worked closely with agencies across the country, helping them plan and implement innovative transportation programs tailored to local needs. She provides technical assistance, builds strategic partnerships and helps guide agencies in creating solutions that are both person-centered and sustainable.
Melissa describes USAging as a place where collaboration is at the heart of the work. “It’s a very collegial environment,” she says. “One of the most rewarding parts of my job is hearing success stories from the local level and seeing how our national support is helping older adults live with dignity.”
 
One lesson that has stayed with her is the importance of listening—really listening—to the lived experiences of older adults, caregivers and people with disabilities. “That’s how meaningful change happens,” she notes. “When programs are shaped by the realities people face every day.”
 
Melissa encourages USAging members to reach out if they’re looking for support, guidance, or simply a sounding board when it comes to improving mobility options. She’s especially passionate about reaching underserved communities and finding innovative ways to connect people not just to services, but to opportunity and purpose. “Transportation is a key social driver of health,” she explains. “It’s about access, connection and quality of life.”
 
Outside of work, Melissa brings that same sense of purpose and curiosity to everything she does. A fan of Turner Classic Movies and a good ’80s period piece (she admits to watching The Wedding Singer more than 25 times), she’s currently reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. She’s also biked from Houston to Austin for charity, helped build water infrastructure in the Dominican Republic and even sings and plays acoustic guitar.
 
To learn more about USAging's transportation programs, visit www.usaging.org/nadtc or consider contacting Melissa and her team. 
 

• Melissa Gray, Director, mgray@usaging.org
• Dave Somers, Senior Research Associate, dsomers@usaging.org
• Meredith Bratton, Program Associate, mbratton@usaging.org