About
At Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, we’ve got our sights set on something big: redefining the public relations industry. This means helping others abandon the perception of PR as a wheel of propaganda, churning and burning self-serving, bias-driven news releases. Instead, we see PR as something bigger, greater and far more meaningful. We define public relations not by tactics or strategies, but rather by frameworks for strategic thinking, relationship building, creating connections, storytelling and producing results.
This new way of defining PR is not about abandoning what works – it’s about building on it, constantly growing our toolkit, looking for inspiration across disciplines, and giving all efforts modern and forward-thinking relevancy.
Our Values
At NST, our values are more than words on paper. They are our North Star guiding our decisions big and small, and we love it when we have the opportunity to partner with clients who share our commitment to:
- Push ourselves to explore.
- Commit to quality and add value every time.
- Be candid and kind.
- Take ownership and do the right thing.
- Balance hard work and fun while supporting one another.
- Seek out diverse perspectives.
- Get shit done.
Our Purpose
Not only do we help other organizations uncover their social purpose, we are also a purpose-driven company that believes in making a difference. At NST, our purpose is to better ourselves, our partners and the world around us. We live this purpose day in and day out through our commitment to exploration; client service; diversity, equity and inclusion; and initiatives like Make Things Better.
We Are NST
Our History
How It Started
The journey to modern-day Nuffer, Smith, Tucker began in 1974 when Dave Nuffer and Bob Smith opened a political campaign agency and special-projects division of San Diego-based advertising agency Phillips-Ramsey. Their first client was the Dairy Council of California, an organization the agency continues to support to this day.
The agency quickly grew, becoming deeply entrenched in the San Diego community. Kerry Tucker joined the team in 1980 and grew the agency’s reputation as a leader in the agri-food space. From 2000 to December 2016, the agency was led by Bill Trumpfheller, a champion of local nonprofit organizations, universities and businesses.
How It’s Going
In 2020, Teresa Siles, Mary Correia-Moreno and Price Adams — with a tenure at NST of more than 15 years each — acquired the firm, vowing a commitment to the agency’s values that made it successful in the past, while embracing a spirit of exploration, evolution and organizational agility. Since then, the trio has focused the agency on three strategic priorities: people, partners and promotion. Through these priorities, the agency’s leaders are taking aim on ensuring the team has the skills, training and resources it needs; providing value to our client partners; and telling the story of NST. As an extension of these efforts, the firm has introduced its Make Things Better initiative and diversity, equity and inclusion commitment.
Our Adventures
Earlier today, NSTers celebrated a new team member – Baby Girl Neal. As much as we’ll miss having Natalie in the office these next few months, we can’t wait for her to take on this next chapter as Mom. 👩🍼💗
As NST expands its client roster, we’re also growing our team. Our new senior account director, Kelli Nenaber, brings over 15 years of marketing, public affairs and public relations experience in corporate and agency settings to NST. Now, she is applying her expertise to every NST client account and RFP she touches.
Learn more about Kelli at the link in our bio.
We loveee to see our team members grow and thrive in new roles! 😍
#pragency #publicrelations #career
Our Make Things Better (MTB) Committee has chosen nutrition and food insecurity as our cause for another year!
With 95% of our team participating in MTB’s philanthropic activities in 2024, our MTB committee will use 2025 to align with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to explore new strategies to feed the diverse San Diego community.
Check out our latest blog post (linked in our bio) to learn more about the MTB Committee and the work we plan to get done this year!
#makethingsbetter #NST #givingback #sdfoodbank
As PR pros, tactics like content creation and media relations are only a few of the many tools in our PR toolbox.
#pragency #publicrelations
What’s hot and what’s not? As part of NST’s professional development program, Influencer Relations Manager Brogan Bunnell attended Creator Economy Live 2025 in Las Vegas. Swipe to learn about some key takeaways she had to share!
Winning a new client and learning the ins and outs of their industry is never a challenge for us at NST!
#pragency #publicrelations
To celebrate International Women’s Day, NST hosted a high tea happy hour! We spilled the tea on all of our favorite things, built a puzzle featuring powerful women in history and celebrated our women-owned firm status.
#pragency #publicrelations #internationalwomensday
Last week, NST supported @mcdonalds in hosting a Shamrock Shake-a-Thon to celebrate the return of the fan-favorite menu item and the long-standing relationship with @rmhcsandiego . NST worked with San Diego Owner/Operator Christian Sandoval to create a fun-filled family event and raise funds for local Ronald McDonald Houses – with 25 cents from each Shamrock Shake purchased at participating restaurants being donated to the charity. 🍀💚
@cawalnuts has officially joined our client roster! NST is eager to serve as the lead agency overseeing domestic marketing and public relations strategies for California Walnuts, leveraging more than 50 years of experience serving agriculture and consumer packed goods (CPG) companies.
NSTers had all the feels at our Valentine’s Day Donut & Coffee Bar! There’s no better way to celebrate our appreciation for each other than with some sweet treats and team bonding (aka a brief yap session)! Love, NST 🧡💚🩵
#PRagency #ValentinesDay #Galentines
