Mary Jane Speer never set out to work in travel marketing—it found her. Her journey began behind the lens, capturing the beauty of Kentucky’s State Parks. What started as a personal creative outlet quickly opened doors to a career in visual storytelling, brand communications, and ultimately, destination marketing.
From snapping photos at events to assisting with social media strategy for the Governor of Kentucky, and now serving as Director of Content at VisitLEX, Mary Jane’s career has been shaped by her creativity, curiosity, and the power of connection.
Capturing More Than Just Photos
One of Mary Jane’s first roles was coordinating events for Kentucky State Parks. She began photographing them, capturing their natural beauty, and posting to her Instagram account.
Mary Jane’s photos impressed the State Parks’ Director of Communications, who asked her to start and manage the organization’s Instagram account. Soon after, her work caught the attention of Scottie Ellis, the Director of Communications at the Kentucky State Department of Tourism, and Mary Jane’s future mentor.
“She took note of the State Parks account and said, ‘This person has an eye. I’d love to see what they could do with our state tourism channels.’ We had an interview, and the rest is history—I’ve been doing social media marketing, photography, and storytelling ever since.”
Learning by Doing—and from Others
Without a formal background in social media or digital marketing, Mary Jane built her expertise through hands-on experience. She kept pace with the fast-moving industry by diving in headfirst, learning through hands-on experience, and staying curious at every turn.
One of her most valuable resources? The generosity of her peers.
“I would go to conferences, connect with other DMOs, and see what they were doing,” she says.
“The wonderful thing about tourism and hospitality is that everyone is willing to share tips, tricks, and trends. It’s been like that ever since I got involved in this space.”
A Detour into Public Service
After her time with Kentucky State Parks, Mary Jane stepped into a new role as Director of Brand Experience at a boutique hotel. But when COVID-19 hit, she was furloughed—an unexpected pause that led to an entirely new chapter.
A few months later, Scottie Ellis, then working in the office of Governor Andy Beshear, reached out. “It’s one of those things—you never know what life is going to throw at you,” Mary Jane says.
Thanks to their continued connection, Mary Jane was brought on to be deputy director of digital communications for Governor Beshear. Once again, photography played a central role.
“As the governor traveled the state, attending press conferences and events,” she recalls, “I was there to capture it all. I’d turn photos around quickly so the communications team could get them out to the media and on social media.”
While she loved the purpose and pace of the work, the nonstop demands eventually took a toll.
“It was a whirlwind—something I’d absolutely do again,” she says, “but I reached a point where I needed more work-life balance.” After providing what felt like round-the-clock support during COVID, tornadoes, floods, and ice storms, Mary Jane was ready to return to the calmer, creative side of storytelling.
Coming Full Circle with VisitLEX
Throughout the years, Mary Jane maintained a strong connection with VisitLEX as a freelance photographer, who kept her top of mind when new opportunities arose.
“One day, they had an open position and reached out for an interview,” she says. “I’ve always loved tourism and marketing, so it felt like the perfect fit. And here I am—it’s been three years this spring.”
In her role, she hit the ground running: leading content strategy, managing social media platforms, writing web and blog content, producing creative assets, and even stepping in to design when needed. It was a return to tourism with a wider lens and a chance to bring all her storytelling skills into one place.
From Creator to Content Strategist
As Mary Jane’s role evolved—and with her recent promotion to Director of Content—she shifted from hands-on creation to high-level strategy. By delegating more of the day-to-day creative work, she’s been able to focus on storytelling, content planning, and scaling VisitLEX’s efforts more intentionally.
A key part of that strategy is sourcing fresh user-generated content (UGC) with CrowdRiff and by tapping into CrowdRiff Creators.
“Right now, we’re building a content library for next year’s campaigns,” she says. “CrowdRiff Creators are out capturing content at events and distilleries, so when it’s time to launch, we’ve already got high-quality visuals ready to go.”
That proactive approach gives her the flexibility to fuel all kinds of storytelling—from Reels and web content to listicles and idea guides.
“I’ve got a whole repository to pull from,” she says. “If we need visuals for a ‘Top 10’ list or want to quickly spin up a Reel, it’s all there, organized by where our creators and UGC photographers have been.”
CrowdRiff’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Media Hub systems help her stay organized. “I’m in it constantly—several times a day,” she adds. “We get so many asset requests, and it’s incredibly easy to create folders and share what people need in just a few clicks.”
Boosting Engagement with UGC Carousels and Videos
Mary Jane has found that combining UGC clips into short Reels that highlight multiple spots around Lexington resonates strongly on Instagram. One standout example is a Reel celebrating VisitLEX being named one of the best places to travel this April by AFAR. Made entirely with UGC footage, the post earned over 90K views, 4.7K likes, and more than 5.8K interactions—significantly outperforming other content.
She’s also experimented with boosting top-performing organic content to attract new followers. “We ran a test where we identified Reels with the most shares and saves, then turned them into Instagram ads,” she explains. “That brought in a ton of new followers.”
“It was great to see we didn’t need a massive paid video campaign,” Mary Jane says. “Much of the content was organic UGC, and we were able to repurpose it effectively to get new eyes on VisitLEX.”
Another great example is the reel below made with UGC clips that earned over 84K views, nearly 4K likes, and more than 5.6K interactions.
Championing Sustainable Tourism and Inclusion
Like many DMOs, VisitLEX is committed to promoting responsible tourism while uplifting local businesses and culture—a philosophy that guides her approach to destination marketing.
“We primarily focus on local businesses—restaurants, attractions, event spaces, hotels—because that’s what truly makes us unique,” she explains. To deepen this commitment, VisitLEX created a new destination stewardship role dedicated to supporting and spotlighting sustainable businesses.
“The marketing team assists Arin Arnold Davis, our Director of Destination Stewardship and Community Engagement with the SustainabLEX Certified Business Program, a certification that helps businesses showcase the sustainable steps they’re taking, whether it’s using rain barrels, biodegradable plastics, or compostable to-go containers.” VisitLEX also partnered with the Autism Society to create sensory kits in their visitor center. “When visitors come,” she says, “if they have certain sensory sensitivities, they can use the sensory kits with them while they’re out exploring.”
Tips for Success: Trust and Teamwork
While Mary Jane believes it’s important to stay current with social trends and be “on” as much as possible, she’s learned as a director to let go of some day-to-day tasks and trust her team.
Key tips for success based on her experience:
- Delegate and trust your team: “Listen to people who might not have as much marketing experience as you, but who know certain platforms way better. I had an intern active on TikTok who pitched ideas and lit up instantly. Now he comes to me weekly, and I’m like, ‘run with it.’ It’s about giving your trust and faith to the people around you and letting them take the lead.”
- Encourage creativity: Support all team members, including interns, and give them opportunities to pitch and lead new initiatives.
- Leverage mentorship: Mary Jane’s career was shaped by mentors like Scottie Ellis, and she empowers her team similarly. “I’m fortunate to have people around me who love sharing ideas—and if we can make them happen, we try to jump on it.”
- Build and maintain relationships: “I have all the roles I’ve had because I’ve kept a great network of people around me and stayed in touch.”
Thank you, Mary Jane, for taking the time to share your story and some great advice with us!
