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Ask an Alum: Tommy Riordon talks about the Drama major, working in PR, and the value of the Core

By Hunter Mills

Tommy Riordon, UD class of 2012, is the PR Coordinator for the National Catholic Bioethics Center. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Tara, and their two children. 

Hello, Tommy! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Let’s dive right in. First, tell me about the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Thanks for the opportunity, Hunter! 

Well, the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC from here on out) was founded in 1972 as an independent “think tank” by the Catholic Hospital Association to reflect on ethical issues arising in medicine and the life sciences.  There is, perhaps, no place where the direct impact of ethical decision-making is more apparent than in the medical field.  The NCBC is committed to doing all of its work in accordance with the latest scientific research and with the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church.  It works closely with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See.

The NCBC has come to be known as an effective resource and positive force in the Church and society for promoting and safeguarding the dignity of each human being from conception until natural death by helping those involved in health care, religious and secular teaching, public policy, and all areas of society to understand how the moral teachings of the Church apply to developments in health care and the life sciences.

  Photo Courtesy of Tommy Riordon (center)

Your current job title says “PR Coordinator,” but when I knew you at UD, you were a Drama major. How has your choice of major impacted your career?

 I am proud to say that the Drama major was a perfect complement to public relations work. The Drama major, the professors in the Drama department and, ultimately, the Senior Studio project taught me that communication is key and that taking shortcuts or cutting corners is probably just a way to achieve failure more quickly. But at the same time (and perhaps most importantly), the Drama major taught me to be less afraid of failing.

  What made you interested in a career in public relations?

Well it's a two-part answer, really. Part one is predictable, but practical, and it sprang from the fact that I was looking for stability in choosing a job. Pursuing theater isn't necessarily unstable, but I have two kids, and the timing for that path isn't quite right at this point. So I heard about this job, read the job description and thought "Oh I could totally kill at doing that." So I went for it.

I would much rather tell you the second part, which is what interests me about PR now. I've been here a year and I cannot believe how much I have realized about the interpersonal nature of the work I do. It is easy to get caught up in the partitioned and chronically impersonal mode of thinking that comes with working on a computer all day. What surprises you is how responsive, emotional, and personal people can be when they realize you are trying to form a relationship with them. Something as simple as a monthly e-newsletter can carry its own strain of the dramatic and the human. I am incredibly interested in this element of the job: finding the human in an increasingly tech-oriented line of work and in an increasingly tech-oriented world.

  Help our readers get a feel for what it’s like to be a PR Coordinator. It’s 10 a.m. on a Monday. What are you doing?

Making Money! Hopefully...

Seriously, though, […] while I have basic daily tasks like updating our blog and website, the real bulk of my work is in advertising and in crafting fundraising campaigns. If it is a good day, then, at 10 in the morning I AM actually raising money through targeted e-mail campaigns.

If I'm not campaigning, I am making calls to Catholic event organizers and subsequently designing/placing advertisements for NCBC. Along with that, I have taken up designing many of the promotional materials for NCBC programs and services. I design brochures and posters like a boss!

If you could give freshmen one piece of advice, what would it be?

This is one piece of tripartite advice:

1.EMBRACE THE CORE.

2. After you embrace the Core, remember that even the greatest human inventions aren't perfect and so sometimes they forget to require Drama courses. So...

3. Take a Drama course (or two!). You will not believe the incredible amount of richness held in almost every class taught by the faculty in the Drama Department.

 .  .  .  .  .

I'd like to thank Tommy for taking the time to let me interview him and providing our readers with a thoughtful glimpse into his career. Follow this blog for more exclusive interviews, job search tips, and career advice. You can also like us on Facebook to be the first to find out about our latest events, such as the Haunted House of Horrors later this month.