Bowling Green Area CVB Staff

Sherry Murphy joined the Bowling Green Area CVB in November 2018 after serving as executive director of the Elizabethtown (Ky.) Tourism and Convention Bureau for 18 years. She has always had a love for the Bowling Green area, since she is both a native of nearby Logan County and a graduate of Western Kentucky University’s hospitality program. During her tenure, the Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Bureau won the Kentucky Travel Industry Association’s Traverse Award for Best of Show for tourism marketing, and Hardin County received KTIA’s Kentucky Economic Engine Award given for tourism's major impact on the local economy. Sherry served as chairwoman for KTIA, president of the Kentucky Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, and currently serves as a regional representative on an advisory board to the KY Department of Tourism. She is also a graduate of Leadership Kentucky. Contact Sherry for legislative issues (both local and statewide), attraction or lodging development, special tourism project funding, lodging statistics or other related information.

Madison's experience in the fields of broadcasting & marketing will be used to promote Bowling Green as a travel destination. Madison graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017 after spending her student years working at WKU-PBS, she then moved to Nashville, TN where she spent 4 years as a marketer in the real estate industry before joining the CVB in May of 2022. Madison is responsible for the CVB's partnership and marketing strategy, all paid advertising, and telling the story of BG to our visitors. Contact Madison to promote your business on the website and Bowling Green Visitors Guide, for promotional ideas, or discuss advertising opportunities with the CVB.

Bowling Green native Lauren Guess has worked in the communication field since graduating from the University of Louisville in 2015 with degrees in Communication and Psychology. In Louisville, Lauren gained work experience in the agency scene assisting and leading various communication and community engagement efforts for the likes of Amazon.com, Long John Silvers, McDonald's of the Bluegrass, Cirque Du Soleil, The Kentucky Bourbon Festival and Donate Life Kentucky, among others. While the vast client experience was helpful in gaining different kinds of PR skills, Lauren is excited to settle into a tourism role for her hometown and focus on telling culture and lifestyle stories locally, regionally and nationally. Contact Lauren for press inquiries, interview opportunities, interest in gaining exposure for your Bowling Green attraction, and questions regarding the VisitBGKY social media accounts.

From an amusement park attendant to restaurant management and hotel sales, Marissa Butler joined the CVB in June 2007 with extensive hospitality experience. The Nashville, Tenn., native made Bowling Green her home after graduating from WKU in 1998 with a Public Relations degree. Marissa began as PR Coordinator, then became PR Director in 2008, promoted to Marketing Director in 2012, then transitioned to Hospitality Services in 2022. Contact Marissa if you have a meeting or convention considering BGKY, if you'd like to learn more about ways we serve our local community, or if you're a new hospitality business in the area looking for opportunities.

Rabold-Pearson joins Visit BGKY from the National Corvette Museum, where he served as the senior tourism manager and specialized in group sales for the attraction. While he is new to the Visit BGKY office, he is no stranger to the world of tourism. Rabold-Pearson also served as executive director for two tourism commissions while living in Eastern Kentucky.

Hopkinsville native Damion Wheeler joined the CVB in 2024, from Atmos Energy where he specialized in day-to-day operations for six years. Wheeler graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in Recreation Administration with a focus on all things sports. Outside of his typical workday, Wheeler has years of experience officiating high school and women’s college basketball. Damion is responsible for leading the bureau’s local, regional and national efforts to bring sporting events and tournaments to Bowling Green and Warren County. Contact Damion if you are interested in bringing a sports event to town or looking to be involved with sporting events.