10:15 aM

Promoting Your Community

Marrissa Butler, Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Hospitality Services Director; MacLean Lessenberry, Glasgow-Barren County Tourism Executive Director; and Teila Butler, Downtown Development Coordinator with City of Bowling Green talk Tourism and Promotion efforts including best practices.


How Session Aligns with CEDS and Local Strategic Plans

Each breakout session featured is thoughtfully aligned with the key goals and objectives outlined in both the regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and the Local Strategic Plans developed for each of BRADD’s 10 counties. These sessions were designed to support the implementation of locally driven priorities and regional strategies that move our communities forward.

Relevant strategic plan objectives being covered by this session:

Presenters:

Hospitality Services Director, Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Marissa Butler

About me

From an amusement park attendant and restaurant manager to hotel sales and now the Bowling Green tourism office, Marissa Butler has over 30 years of hospitality and tourism experience. She began her career at the Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2007 as PR Director, then as Marketing Director, and now serves as Hospitality Services Director focused on the recruitment of meetings and conventions. She and her husband have two school-aged boys, some land to roam, and a one-year-old rescue pup.



Executive Director, Glasgow-Barren Co. Tourism

MacLean Lassenberry

About me

A proud native of Glasgow-Barren County, MacLean has always felt the magic in the magnificent caves, winding backroads, and Southern hospitality that defines her hometown. After graduating from Glasgow High School, she earned her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and an MBA with a focus on digital marketing from the University of Louisville. Her background is in helping brands tell their stories through smart social media strategy, compelling content, and standout campaigns.

Now, as Executive Director of Glasgow-Barren County Tourism, she gets to channel all of that into something personal—whether it’s marketing the wonders of Mammoth Cave National Park, recruiting film projects to capitalize on the Hallmark-esque downtown Glasgow square, or simply sitting down with locals to remind them that they are the area’s greatest ambassadors. Her work is more than a job—it’s a love letter to home. When not working, her spare time includes her French Bulldog, Wasabi, and foodie adventures across Kentucky!

Downtown Development Coordinator, City of Bowling Green

Telia Butler

About me

Telia Butler is the Downtown Development Coordinator for the City of Bowling Green, whose role is to promote Downtown as a destination for residents and visitors, while also serving as a City government services liaison for developers, business owners, and stakeholders in the Downtown neighborhood. She runs the @downtownbgky social media, marketing, website, and community outreach; helps organize and promote major Downtown and Fountain Row entertainment district events; and connects stakeholders with opportunities to improve or create new affordable, accessible programs or events – like Duncan Hines Days. A Bowling Green native and WKU Alum, she has spent 13 years in the area’s hospitality and travel marketing industries, while still utilizing her Journalism and History degrees to tell local stories on WNKY’s weekly Throwback Thursday TV segment for the past 8 years.


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CEDS Summit 2025