Rex Gore

Rex Gore is a social and business entrepreneur who creates jobs for thousands of Texas workers. In 1985, he co-founded CleanCut, a fast-growing landscaping firm later acquired by Trugreen; at CleanCut, Rex was a finalist for E&Y’s Austin Entrepreneur of the Year award 3 times. From 2001 to 2021, Rex helped grow PJS of Texas, a commercial janitorial company serving Class A office space in Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio, into the premier regional firm operating in SW Texas. Rex returned to commercial landscaping in 2005 by co-founding Clean Scapes, which within 3 years was named Central Texas’s fastest-growing firm. Clean Scapes is now a $130M/yr business ranked in the US’s 15 largest landscaping firms. In recent years, Rex has also helped co-found or acquire other service companies including Exterior Cleaning Solutions of Texas (commercial pressure-washing & window cleaning), Top Choice Lawn Care (residential landscaping), and Pure Basin Services (stormwater basin management), Revival Surfaces (metal refinishing), and Scout Security Group. Rex promotes nonprofit & education policy. In 2013, he co-founded PelotonU, which enables working, at-risk students to earn college degrees with little debt. He is a Regional Board Member of IDEA Public Schools, a K-12 network that sends 99% of 45,000+ mostly low-income & minority students to college, where they outperform peers. He is the Board Chair of Charter Schools Now, the Texas Charter School Association’s 501(c)(4) arm, as well as a part of Austin 2030, a group of civic leaders formed to support the AISD administration. He has been appointed to the State Board of Educator Certification, which develops certification and continuing education requirements and standards for public school teachers. Most recently, Rex was appointed by the Governor to serve as the Chair of the Texas Commission on Virtual Education. This year-long endeavor resulted in a unanimous report with recommendations that have resulted in legislation that will significantly change how Texas does K-12 Virtual education. Rex has also served on the board or played an active role in numerous other regional nonprofit or civic groups.