The following is part of our Member Spotlight series. Twice a month, the PPRA blog will feature a profile on one of our members. Today’s post highlights long-time PPRA member Amanda Bednar.

So, how long have you been a member of PPRA?

Since 2004.

How did you get into PR?

I originally wanted to be a sports journalist. I attended a high school newspaper workshop that was organized by the Philadelphia 76ers and decided that it was not for me. I took the opportunity to speak with the Director of Public Relations at that time and decided that sports PR could be a great alternative. Fast forward to college, I took my first PR course as a sophomore and I was hooked! I spent four summers interning with the Sixers PR department, as well as working for the PR department at my alma matter, Seton Hall University. Those two jobs really fostered my love of PR and my first two supervisors were such great role models for me to follow.

Tell us a little bit about your current position.

I recently accepted my current position as Marketing Manager for Cooper University Health Care System. Prior to Cooper, I spent almost 10 years working for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) as their Public Relations Manager.

What is your favorite aspect of your current job?

I just started working for Cooper University Health Care System as a Marketing Manager. So far it has been a great couple of months, learning lots of new ways to promote the hospital as well as our great physicians.

Are there any PR trends that you’re really into right now? 

I do think social media is very key to everything that we do – either in marketing or public relations.

What social media platform do you use the most in your personal life? What about for business purposes?

I am on Facebook all the time personally. I have not mastered Twitter yet, but I am hoping to get there soon. I tend to use LinkedIn a lot for work, as well as following several different PR pros on Twitter.

If you could give one piece of advice to current PR students about getting into the industry, what would it be?

Make sure you do as may internships as possible!

What is your favorite thing about Philly?

Everything! The food, the people and most importantly, the sports teams!

Anything else we should know about you?

I have been an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Strategic Communication  at Temple University for several years, teaching undergraduates Public Relations research and overseeing the internship program for the department.  If you have any internship opportunities for our excellent Temple students, please email me at abednar@temple.edu.