Behind the Screen with Allison Beck

​Allison Beck is the Deputy Digital Director for PennDOT and works in the Central Office. She has been working behind the scenes of our social media and websites for over two years.

On social media, she posts to our statewide PennDOT accounts, responds to comments, and makes some videos and social media graphics. Her favorite graphic from last year was a meme in response to comments joking that the traffic cone was the Pennsylvania's state flower. She also sends the department's monthly e-newsletter, the DOTcom.

Allison says that she entered the communications field because she wanted to have a part in spreading important information to the public. And she enjoys interacting with the public through social media. "It's rewarding to help people find answers to their questions and inform them about what we do and why we do it," she said.

PennDOT's social media accounts are busy! In 2021, posts from the department's statewide social media accounts earned more than 36 million impressions (views). Facebook is PennDOT's most popular social platform with more than 200,000 followers. You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Our regional Facebook groups and regional Twitter accounts provide more localized updates.

Once at PennDOT, Allison realized there was more to the agency than bridges and roads. She wishes that everyone could understand that PennDOT is a large agency made up of people who are trying their best to provide good service to the public. "There are jobs that I didn't even know existed at PennDOT," she said. "It is really cool to get an inside look at the innovative stuff happening at all levels."

While Allison said people usually ask her about REAL ID when she tells them she works at PennDOT, she  was proud to be part of our 50-year anniversary initiative. "We had to adapt our original plan due to the COVID pandemic, but we ended up with a webpage and a video that highlight how far the department has come in the past 50+ years," she said.

Outside of work, Allison and her husband, Justin, love to work on home improvements. "We bought a fixer-upper about three years ago and there's never a shortage of things that need a little TLC," she said. They also have a sassy cat named Tinky and dog, Sadie, who was the flower girl at their wedding this past December.

Allison is also an adviser for her college sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi at Shippensburg University, and recently became a board member for the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society. One thing about her that may surprise you is that she has high standards when it comes to pizza and is a Yankees fan (she lived in Brooklyn, NY for five years). However, she admitted to only be interested in sports for the food!