People you should know/Maria Kathryn Swan

Age: Mid-20s

Key responsibilities: My key responsibilities are to generate positive media coverage, work with media when they call and/or come to St. Francis, write and send out news releases, coordinate press conferences, be an ambassador to the Cape Girardeau region by attending community events and being involved in community organizations representing St. Francis Medical Center.

How long have you lived in Cape Girardeau: I lived in Cape Girardeau from the day I was born until the day I left for college at the University of Missouri at Columbia. I then moved back to Cape Girardeau after two years spent living and working in St. Louis.

Education: I graduated from the journalism school at the University of Missouri at Columbia with a bachelor of journalism degree with an emphasis in broadcast journalism.

Community involvement: Public relations chair for the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau; Cape Girardeau Chamber member; Leadership Cape participant; member of the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Club; member of the Missouri Association for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (MAHPRM) and sit on panel to judge health care advertising and public relations awards from other states; member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development of the American Hospital Association; University of Missouri Alumni Association; University of Missouri Journalism Alumni Association; Delta Delta Delta Alumni Association

Professional background: I worked as a television reporter for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., as part of school curriculum, then moved to St. Louis to work as an intern for Fleishman-Hillard International Communications. I then was the marketing director for Palmerston & Reed Publishing Co. before moving back to Cape Girardeau to take my current position.

Name a Cape Girardeau businessperson you admire and why: I admire my father and mother, Reg and Kathy Swan, as businesspeople in the community. I admire them for their intense commitment, undying enthusiasm and vast knowledge it has taken them to create such a successful business, JCS/Tel-link. I admire them for their ability to work together over eight hours a day and still come home to a wonderful marriage and family. I admire my mother for holding a full-time career and being the best mother I could ask for and a wonderful mentor of a woman in business. I admire my father for his enthusiastic attitude toward his career. He always says that if you're not having fun, then why do it. I think of that often.

Last book read: "Desecration," the most recent in the "Left Behind" series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

What I wanted to be when I was a child: Honestly? A Schnucks checkout girl. I thought the process seemed so entertaining: You would greet a new person every minute, scan their items, talk to them, smile at them, send them on their way only to greet the next person. Doing this all day long seemed like the perfect job. It is somewhat like being a public relations coordinator, isn't it?

How I chose this career: I went to college wanting to be a television reporter, but when I started reporting, I was more intrigued by what went on behind the scenes. Therefore, I was able to obtain an internship with Fleishman-Hillard (a large public relations agency) and realized I loved helping businesses or individuals work with the media. My knowledge as a TV reporter and a short stint as a newspaper reporter seemed to help me know what the media were looking for. So I pursued the public relations/media relations field and found my current position at St. Francis Medical Center a perfect fit. Public relations encompasses all the things I loved about reporting.

Biggest obstacle I've overcome and how: I am very fortunate. I can't think of an obstacle in my life that I have had to overcome. I know that through my faith, I can accomplish whatever comes my way.

My best advice to someone new in my field: One of the most important things is relationship building. Building relationships with everyone you work with will most likely result in success. It is important to be the liaison between the media and your organization with a good attitude.

Hobbies, interests: Planning my wedding, scrapbooking, planning my wedding, catching up with friends, planning my wedding, finding good deals and planning my wedding.

What accomplishment are you most proud of: Graduating from the Journalism School at the University of Missouri, finding a career that suits me and finding the person to spend the rest of my life with.

Secret ambition: I am living my secret ambition.

WHO DO YOU KNOW?

If you know someone who should be featured in "People You Should Know," contact Scott Moyers at 335-6611, extension 137, or by e-mail at smoyers@semissourian.com.