Here is the volunteer blog team for the 73rd Annual FPRA Annual Conference:

MARIA COPPOLA, APR (@mariacoppola) is director of public relations at BroadBased Communications in Jacksonville, Fla. She is a former broadcast journalist who has been a full time agency public relations executive and consultant in North Florida for nearly 12 years. Coppola practices media relations, external communications and crisis management and handles communications for a variety of clients. She is active in FPRA and currently serves as incoming president of the Jacksonville Chapter. Coppola earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and is a graduate of the Leadership Jacksonville Class of 2011.

PHYLLIS K. ERSHOWSKY, APR, CPRC (@pkecreative) is principal of her firm PKE Marketing & PR Solutions, LLC in Southwest Florida. An FPRA member since 2008, she currently serves as education chair for FPRA’s Southwest Florida Chapter. She was previously vice president, member relations in 2009 and 2010. Phyllis has been working with her local chapter and FPRA’s State Board on the student track for this year’s conference. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Vassar College and her Master’s degree in business administration from Dowling College. Phyllis is currently an adjunct professor of PR Research at Florida Gulf Coast University.

AMANDA FORBES, APR (@amanda4bes) is a public relations senior account executive with Fry Hammond Barr, a full-service marketing and communications agency with offices in Orlando and Tampa, Fla., where she leads local and national public relations and social media initiatives for clients in the retail, healthcare and banking industries. An FPRA member since 2004, she is currently the incoming president for FPRA’s Orlando Area Chapter and has served in numerous roles on the chapter’s board. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Central Florida and is an active member of the Junior League of Greater Orlando.

JENNIFER GAMMAGE (@Jgammage) is marketing director for the Central Florida Cancer Care Center in Sanford, Fla., where she calls upon more than seven years of experience to plan, implement and evaluate marketing and communications efforts for the center. An FPRA member since 2007, she is currently the incoming assistant vice president of membership for FPRA’s Orlando Area Chapter and has served the chapter in the past as the vice president of Image Awards. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

CHRIS GENT, APR, CPRC (@chrisgent) is vice president of corporate communications for Kissimmee Utility Authority. An FPRA member since 1994, he currently serves as vice president of technology for FPRA’s Orlando Area Chapter. Chris has served eight years on the FPRA State Board, including six years on the Executive Committee. He is a past president of the Orlando Area Chapter and winner of both the Doris Fleischman Award and the Dick Pope Grand All Golden Image Award. Chris spearheaded the FPRA conference blog in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 and again this year. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Central Florida and master’s degree in strategic public relations from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he graduated valedictorian in 2011.

BOB GERNERT, JR. APR, CPRC (@BobGernert) is the Executive Director of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining the Chamber in March of 1996, he spent 20 years in the public relations and marketing business including 10 years as President of Gernert & Goddard, Inc., in Winter Haven. In that capacity, he served as executive director of the Florida Public Relations Association and provided association management services to that organization. Gernert is certified as a public relations counselor and holds the national designation of Accredited Public Relations. He served as the president of the FPRA statewide organization in 1985. He is the 1999 recipient of the John W. Dillin Award, Florida’s highest recognition for public relations accomplishment. He also has received the Jack Bondurant Award for Healthcare Public Relations.

TAMI KARABA is development coordinator for Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida where she supports the agency’s fundraising efforts to help the case-managed shelter lead homeless men, women and families with children back to lives of self-sufficiency. Since joining FPRA in 2007, Tami has served three years on the chapter’s board and was the recipient of the Bob Davis Award in 2009. She has also served on the advisory board for the Young Nonprofit Professional Network (YNPN) Orlando for three years, is an active member of Kiwanis Orlando, mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida and volunteers with the local SPCA. Tami earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Florida.

KRIS KEPRIOS is a communications specialist for Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing (PCTSM), the Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission for Polk County. In his role with PCTSM, he works with local and state media to promote more than 200 sporting events that Polk County hosts annually and also works to market Polk County as a vacation destination. In 2009, he was named the tourism industry’s “Rising Star” by the Southeast Tourism Society. A member of FPRA since 2004, Kris is a past president of the Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter and has served on FPRA’s state executive committee. Kris graduated from Florida Southern College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

MISCHA KIRBY (@FPRACWC) is an independent public relations practitioner working with non-profit organizations and small businesses. Mischa has 10 years of public relations and marketing experience and is a former reporter who continues to write freelance articles that focus on travel and higher education. A member of FPRA since 2007, Mischa is the current director of community outreach for the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and next year she will assume the role of Vice President of Membership. This year Mischa was recognized at the CWC “Member of the Year,” and she previously was awarded the chapter’s “Rising Star” award. Mischa earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Florida.

STEFANIE MACFARLANE, APR (@stefmacfarlane) works as an independent public relations and marketing consultant who brings more than 15 years of experience to her clients. Her diverse background in both profit and non-profit and corporate and agency arenas enables her to work for a wide variety of clients and industries including healthcare, high tech, higher education and manufacturing, just to name a few. A member of FPRA since 2004, Stefanie has served two consecutive years as the Vice President of Accreditation for FPRA’s Orlando Area Chapter. Stefanie earned her Bachelor’s degree in public relations from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Communications from Cornell University.

ADRIENNE MOORE, APR, CPRC is owner of Adrienne Moore Communications Strategies since her retirement from public radio station WQCS / 88.9 FM, where she handled public relations and development for 25 years. She also has a lengthy journalism career. An FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter member since 1985, Adrienne has served as the chapter president for three terms and on various committees. She is a past state president and has served three terms on the Executive Committee. She is completing two years as Chair of the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation. Adrienne is a member of Counselors Network. She is a recipient of the FPRA Member of the Year, the Doris Fleischman Unsung Hero Award and the Col. John W. Dillin Award for Professional Achievement and Chapter Service.

WENDY JO MOYER, APR (@WJMoyer) With more than 13 years of experience in public relations, communications and marketing, Wendy serves as the communications manager for WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA where she plans, implements and evaluates communications efforts for the organization. Prior to WCF, Wendy Jo worked in both corporate and agency public relations and marketing communications representing organizations such as Nickelodeon Family Suites, AAA Travel, Planet Hollywood, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Wuesthoff Medical Center, the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, Middleton Lawn & Pest Control and Tijuana Flats. She also serves as president of the Orlando Area Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Wendy Jo holds two Bachelors of Arts degrees from the University of Maryland, one in journalism (with a public relations concentration) and another in dance.

PAMELA NULMAN, APR, CPRC (@PRPiper) is an independent public relations consultant offering strategic and creative marketing and public relations solutions for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. With more than 20 years experience in public relations and marketing, Pam holds both the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC) credentials. Pam is the current president of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and in 2010 was named the chapter’s “PR Professional Year.” In addition to running her own firm, she is an adjunct professor in the public relations program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Pam holds a Master’s degree in Communications Management from Syracuse University and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Arizona State University.

KIRSTEN O’DONNELL (@kbolesen) is a self-described social media addict, as well as the director of public relations and marketing for Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida. An FPRA member since 2008, Kirsten is currently serving as the media relations chair for the Southwest Florida Chapter. Prior to her career as a PR professional, Kirsten taught collegiate level communication courses at several colleges and universities, and also worked for a decade as a television sportscaster. She holds a B.A. in communication arts from Oakland University (Rochester, Mich.) and earned her M.A. in interpersonal and public communication from Central Michigan University (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.).

CARLA ULAKOVIC (@carla_u) is the community project specialist for East County Water Control District where she specializes in community relations, grant writing and media relations. Carla also works as a contract communications consultant, where she uses her experience to guide public relations planning and social media strategy development. Carla holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and a Master’s of the Arts in Communications from Bond University in Queensland, Australia. During her master’s thesis, Carla developed a strong passion for social media academically, personally and professionally. Carla has been an FPRA member since 2007 and currently serves as the as president-elect for the Southwest Florida Chapter, membership chair and was co-chair of PRU 2010.