Each month, on the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin blog, we will feature one of the members of our fine organization. Get to know a little bit about who they are, why they joined and what they are most looking forward to about being a part of the PRSA SEW Chapter. And maybe a few random facts here and there.
This month, we are featuring Samantha Andrews!
Name – Samantha Andrews, APR
Follow Samantha on Twitter. @SamanthaAndrews
Position/Company – Public Relations Associate, Froedtert Health Froedtert Hospital.
What initially drew you to PRSA? I was drawn to PRSA’s networking opportunities. My PRSA history began early in my public relations career; first in Green Bay with the Northeast Wisconsin Chapter. I moved to Milwaukee about six years ago and found the Southeast Wisconsin Chapter members very welcoming, dynamic and supportive.
I see you’re accredited! Congrats. How valuable is accreditation and what advice would you give to those that are looking into it? Thank you! I received my Accreditation in Public Relations in 2008. Since then it has opened a lot of doors for me, including my involvement with the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter (SEW) board of directors. It helped me transition from tactical to a strategic thinking approach to public relations. It prompted me to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. I’m currently enrolled in the MBA program at Mount Mary College. My motto to anyone considering accreditation is “Just Do It!” It can only help you down the road.
What do you enjoy most about being a member of the PRSA SEW board of directors? I’ve had the honor of being a board member since 2009, serving our chapter as assembly delegate. I enjoy the friendships I have made and learning from some of the best communicators in our field. I’m truly blessed to be a part of our board. I have learned so much from them.
What’s your favorite aspect of the Public Relations industry? What really excites you about PR? And why? Special events are my passion because I love meeting and working with people. I enjoy seeing a successful event come to fruition from its infancy stages.
How has being a PRSA SEW member helped in your career? PRSA has helped me learn of new job opportunities, including my current role at Froedtert Hospital. It has helped me learn boundless new skills and earn my APR. I also received a Paragon Award last year for one of my projects, which made me and my employer extremely proud!
How do you stay up-to-date on the industry trends? What’s your favorite industry blogs that you follow/books that you read? Our PRSA SEW chapter lunches, along with the new social media training opportunities are very interesting, fun and affordable (many of which are free!) ways to stay on top of industry trends. I read “The Strategist” and take advantage of the free webinars through PRSA as part of my membership. I also attended the national PRSA conference for the first time last year in Washington, D.C. and learned more about measurement as it applies to our practice. I subscribe to various RSS feeds through PRSA’s Web site such as PRSAY, ComPRehension and belong to various specialized groups. One of my favorites is the PRSA National group on LinkedIn.
Tell us something we don’t know about you? One interesting tidbit I like to share with Milwaukeeans is that I was a Green Bay Packers cheerleader while in college at UW-Green Bay. I’m an avid runner and passionate about golfing, so I can’t wait for spring!
Next time you see Samantha at a luncheon, be sure to introduced yourself. Or you could connect with her on LinkedIn.
– Andrew Wiech (@AndrewWiech)
