Tanya Castaneda

Manolatos Nelson Murphy, Inc.

As Vice President of Public Relations for Manolatos Nelson Murphy, Tanya supports a range of clients representing some of San Diego's most iconic brands and well-known government agencies and nonprofits. MNM Advertising & Public Relations bridges the gap between clients and the people whose influence matter most, utilizing the firm's network to intersect with government, the news media and the public. Tanya is a nationally recognized leader in public relations who was named California’s 2018 Communicator of the Year by CAPIO (California Association of Public Information Officials). She holds the Accreditation in Public Relations credential, recognized as the worldwide standard for ethics and progressive public relations practices. Serving as chief spokesperson for the Port of San Diego for six years, Tanya managed the Port’s strategic communications program. An experienced crisis communications manager, Tanya has participated in numerous regional drills focused on marine and aviation security, terrorism, medical epidemics and environmental disasters. Tanya’s community outreach campaigns and strategic communications programs received awards in 2017 and 2018 from the American Association of Port Authorities, the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the California Association of Public Information Officials and the Public Relations Society of America San Diego-Imperial Counties. Prior to joining the Port, she was an award-winning reporter for newspapers including The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Boston Globe and the Virgin Islands Daily News; along with on-camera work for affiliated broadcast news stations. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. She lives in Chula Vista with her husband and their two children.