Her Story
About Mary
Mary Ross is a seasoned hospitality executive serving as Director of Sales, Catering, and Marketing at DoubleTree by Hilton in Jackson, Tennessee. In this role, she leads the property’s full sales and catering sales team, overseeing a multidisciplinary team that includes a sales manager, catering sales manager, two part-time sales assistants, and a reservations manager. She is responsible for driving strategic revenue growth, managing corporate partnerships, and supporting large-scale events ranging from local functions to citywide conventions. Under her leadership, the department consistently generates significant monthly revenue and is on pace to exceed $5 million annually. Mary began her hospitality career in 1995, working in food and beverage roles throughout high school and college to support her education. She started as a server and gained hands-on experience in both kitchen and front-of-house operations before advancing into an assistant management role in East Tennessee. After completing her degree, she briefly worked as a server at Olive Garden when an opportunity arose to fill in at a Cooper property—an experience that ultimately became a turning point in her career. What began as a short-term assignment evolved into a long-term progression through multiple areas of hospitality, including human resources, sales support, catering sales, and ultimately leadership roles across Johnson City, Atlanta, and Jackson, Tennessee. She has been with the DoubleTree Jackson property since 2004. Over the course of her career, Mary has built a reputation for performance-driven leadership and relationship-based selling. One of her most notable achievements includes securing a long-term government-related group booking that generated approximately 44 rooms per night through September, totaling an estimated $1.7 million in business. Her department’s success is rooted in her philosophy of authentic relationship-building—taking time to truly understand clients’ needs so she can deliver tailored experiences that encourage long-term loyalty and repeat business. In addition to her professional work, she is actively involved with the West Tennessee Veterans Coalition, where she has served in leadership and volunteer capacities supporting local veterans through community events and initiatives since 2006.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the relationships I've build. I've learned how to take friends from clients, or clients from friends because those are the people who always believe in you. Being able to build on those relationships is probably my best personal selling tool. When I talk to somebody, it's not like I'm just talking to them because they're booking an event or meeting rooms - I'm actually getting to know that person because knowing them helps me get them exactly what they need, but it also means that they're going to come back and see me every time they do something. My goal is always to build on those relationships.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Mary emphasized the importance of treating every client relationship as long-term rather than transactional. She believes success comes from genuinely knowing people, understanding their needs, and consistently showing up with professionalism and reliability.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you love hospitality and you want to be out and about, attending events, speaking to people, and learning how to make a sell, find a mentor and go out in the community with them. You need to find a way to get your foot in the door and challenge yourself to always do better. Never settle on the first sale - you want the repeat business. You want the feeling of how it is to be able to take that business and build on it. Anyone who is willing to mentor you is invaluable as you learn your way around the hospitality world. My sales manager and I have a running joke that I know everyone in town. I'm always able to talk to someone and get in to see who I need to see. It's about going out and doing things, building those connections, and never giving up.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge we're facing right now is that our city is going to be saturated with hotel rooms. We have about 1,400 hotel rooms coming to our area by mid-2027, including a Great Wolf Lodge which is a 400-room property. My hotel is currently 168 rooms, so I need to fill 168 rooms versus someone else's 60 or 80 rooms, which makes it harder for me to compete. However, the opportunities are tremendous. We're getting ready to open a Ford Motor Company plant - originally built as Blue Oval City for fully electric trucks - which is a $20 billion plant with several side plants feeding into it. In 2028, you'll see the first truck ever produced in West Tennessee. We also have Mars/Kelloggs company making Pringles in Jackson which brings business to our area. Ford has brought in Blue Oval SK and other subsidiaries doing business for them, as has Toyota. These people need places to stay, and with all this industry growth, there's huge potential for those of us who understand relationship-driven business development.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are dedication, commitment, and follow-through. That's pretty much how I live my life. You just need to make sure that whatever you're doing, you're passionate it, you want to move forward, and you want it to be the best you can be in all areas of your life. Beyond that, relationships are at the core of everything I do - building authentic connections with people and genuinely caring about them. I also deeply value service to my community, especially when it comes to supporting veterans and their families. Being able to love on our veterans and help those in crisis, whether through the Veterans Day Parade, Military Ball, or Veterans in Crisis fundraising, is something I'm incredibly dedicated too.
My husband and I want to teach our grandkids the importance of leaving the world better than they found it. Starting with loving on veterans and actively serving military, to being community service minded and helping those around you.
If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life!
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Tennessee
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.