Maria is a proud Kentuckian and has great amount of passion for our Bluegrass state. She was selected as Miss Kentucky USA and later went on to place as a runner up in the 2009 Miss USA telecast owned by Donald Trump and NBC. After Miss USA, she strived to obtain her goal of modeling for a living. She reached that goal upon signing with numerous modeling agencies across the country such as FORD Models, NV Models, and more - who she still works through today. That partnership graciously brought upon opportunities to shoot for campaigns such as Pantene, Oil of Olay, Jockey, Nike, Curel lotion, Remington curling irons, Martini, Kohls, and more.

Maria's career now consists of half modeling and half TV hosting. Locally, Maria hosts a sports show on Sundays called Out of Bounds on Fox 56, and she hosts numerous local commercials such as for Bob Allen Motormall. As a lifelong UK fan, Maria also is thrilled to work as the on-court entertainment host for the University of Kentucky Men's basketball team. Nationally, she is a digital host for SEC Network's football show - SEC Nation. She has been spotted as a trophy model on stage of the CMAs, and as the lead girl in a Tim McGraw and a Josh Groban music video.

Maria has a heart for making a difference in the youth of today. Therefore, she works as a coach for girls aspiring to improve their interview, public speaking, modeling, and pageantry skills to help them become the best versions of themselves. She also loves to give inspirational speeches to help girls realize their natural potential.

Maria holds a Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology she obtained online while living between Miami and Chicago for modeling opportunities. However, having grown up in Danville, Maria has always called the Lexington area home, where she resides today. She is passionate about raising awareness for pancreatic cancer, and enjoys any outdoor activities, working out, traveling, and her church home - Southland Christian Church.

You can find more about Maria along with health, beauty, and modeling tips on her blog www.mariamontgomery.com and on Instagram at @MariaMontgomery19 !