Team

Founding Partner
Contact Margie

Margie Newman Tsay is founding partner of Intesa Communications Group. On speed dial for high-profile leaders in San Diego and beyond, Margie’s impressive industry know-how, reputation management expertise, and unmatched energy drive success for Intesa’s clients again and again. Her career has spanned public, private, government, and non-profit entities, including serving as a press aide to former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and as media relations and social media manager for The Pew Charitable Trusts, in Washington, D.C.

Her volunteer service includes the boards of Sharp HealthCare, the Downtown San Diego Partnership, and La Jolla Country Day School. Additionally, she serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the YMCA of San Diego County Corporate Board of Directors.

Margie’s confidence-building and reputation-enhancing successes regularly receive nods from associations and publications at the local and national level. She’s been named among San Diego Business Journal’s Business Women of the Year numerous times, and was the International Association of Business Communicators San Diego 2018 Communicator of the Year. In 2025, she was named among San Diego Business Journal’s top CEOs of the Year.

A proud graduate of Auburn University — war eagle! — Margie is a charismatic and in-demand leader, public speaker, event emcee and podcast guest. Still, her greatest joy comes from her family: Kai, Owen, Jake, Suzie, and CJ.

Watch: Margie Newman Tsay Talks Leading with ‘Joy and Confidence’ in Latest Podcast Guest Appearance

Listen: Margie Newman Tsay on Building Your Reputation and Managing Crises

Partner
Contact Maddy

Maddy Kilkenny is a powerhouse in government affairs, leading Intesa’s work to connect clients with the communities they serve. With extensive experience in both local government and the private sector, Maddy is the go-to expert for developing and executing impactful strategies that bridge the gap between organizations and the community.

Before joining Intesa, Maddy spent 11 years honing her expertise as a policy advisor and deputy chief of staff for County Supervisor Greg Cox. Her passion for public service led her to join Intesa Communications Group as partner, where she now manages complex projects across land use, higher education and non-profit management. Maddy’s focus is always on building strong relationships and delivering creative solutions to challenging issues.

Throughout her impressive career, Maddy has been instrumental in several landmark initiatives, including the creation of San Pasqual Academy, 211 San Diego, the SDSU Mission Valley project, and the innovative Cross Border Xpress (CBX). Her commitment to community is further reflected in her service on the executive boards of the USS Midway Museum, Civic San Diego, Civic Community Partners, and her appointment to the Oceanside Chamber Board of Directors in 2024.

Recognized for her leadership and community engagement, Maddy was named one of San Diego’s “40 under 40” by San Diego Metropolitan magazine in 2018 and honored as one of the San Diego Business Journal’s Business Women of the Year in 2022. Outside of her professional endeavors, Maddy cherishes time with her husband, Sean, and their two young sons in Carlsbad where they call home.

Senior Director, Public Relations
Contact Nancy

Nancy brings a wealth of experience in public affairs, communications and healthcare to Intesa through a series of high-impact roles in Washington, D.C. and San Diego.

Her career began in the nation’s capital, where she spent over 15 years serving as press secretary and communications director for U.S. Senator John McCain, including stints on both of his presidential campaigns. She later served as vice president of communications at The Vaccine Fund (now the GAVI Alliance), an international grantee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2008, Nancy founded NIS Strategies, leveraging her expertise to develop and lead corporate communications strategies for a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations. Her passion for her work led her to West Health, where she served as senior director of communications from 2012 to 2019. At West Health, Nancy was instrumental in advancing the organizational mission of lowering healthcare costs and promoting successful aging through philanthropy, medical research and public policy.

A native of Florida’s west coast, Nancy is a graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She lives in the Sunset Cliffs neighborhood of San Diego with her husband, their twin son and daughter, and Cinco, a rescue pup from Mexico.

Senior Director, Strategic Communications
Contact Margaret

Margaret Lutz Chantung is the senior director, strategic communications at Intesa Communications Group.  She joined the firm in January 2024 with nearly 20 years of experience in the field. Before stepping into her role at Intesa, Margaret spent 16 transformative years at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), where she served as the chief communications officer, a cabinet-level position that underscored her strategic vision and leadership.

At CSUSM, Margaret led an award-winning team responsible for a broad range of high-impact departments, including news and media relations, internal communications, branding and marketing, social media, and executive communications. She led strategic communications for major events and initiatives such as commencement, state of the university events, fundraising galas and national symposiums. Margaret also managed crisis communications and reputation management efforts that shaped the university’s public image and outreach.

Margaret’s career began in public affairs and community relations at the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. She holds a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Riverside.

A dedicated North San Diego County resident since 2009 and a second-generation Southern Californian, Margaret is actively involved in her community as the treasurer of the Rotary Club of San Marcos, where she earned the distinction of Rotarian of the Year in 2025. She also served on the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Task Force on the Role and Impact of Urban and Metropolitan Campuses. 

Outside of her professional endeavors, she loves to spend her time reading, knitting (sometimes at the same time!), and planning her next travel adventure — Norway and Costa Rica are next on her bucket list! 

Senior Director
Contact Caroline

Caroline’s collaborative, strategic and in-the-know approach stems from decades of government and public-sector experience at the local and state level. This hard-earned acumen gives Caroline a distinct advantage in helping Intesa’s clients navigate complex public-private-sector issues ranging from policy to community engagement.

Caroline brings more than 20 years of public administration experience and political savvy to her role as Senior Director at Intesa. As Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (Assistant CAO) for the County of San Diego, Caroline oversaw day-to-day operations and advanced strategic initiatives across an organization of more than 20,000 employees while managing an $8.6B budget. Previously, Caroline honed her policy chops in various roles at San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency, including Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Director of Economic Development and Government Affairs, and Assistant Director of the County’s Aging & Independence Services Agency. Her high-profile political journey launched in her role as Senior Policy Advisor to County Supervisor Bill Horn.

Passionate about giving back to the community, Caroline serves on the Workforce Development Board for the San Diego Workforce Partnership and on the Solana Beach Schools Foundation Board. She is also an in-demand public speaker, regularly sharing her expertise with local, state, and national organizations and industry audiences as a way to mentor, educate, and uplift the region’s policy, innovation, and workforce. A fifth-generation San Diegan and proud University of San Diego alumna, she lives in Solana Beach with her amazing family and rowdy rescue Labradors, Rocky and Buster.

Fun fact: Before her career championing causes in public service, Caroline was a cheerleader —yes, literally! — and served as director of Events and Championships for the National Cheerleaders Association/National Dance Alliance. Some things never change!

Senior Account Manager
Contact Chelsey

Chelsey leads communications, media and marketing strategies for Intesa’s clients as the senior account manager.

Chelsey brings a unique skill set to the team, blending creativity and business strategy with a background in the arts and an MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Point Loma Nazarene University. Prior to joining Intesa, Chelsey was the marketing manager at the world-renowned Salvador Dalí Museum in Florida. In her role at the museum, Chelsey led key marketing, brand and communication strategies, and developed full-funnel advertising campaigns for frequent special exhibitions curated from top worldwide collections. Her expertise extends to creative development, tourism marketing, special events, fundraising communications and market research.

Fun fact about Chelsey: in addition to her business acumen, she is also an accomplished artist. She has been painting since the age of two when she created her first watercolor “masterpiece” for her dad’s Navy ship stateroom. As the founder of Chelsey Kamen Art, she continues to tell stories and capture moments through her vibrant, nature-inspired artwork, which has been featured in galleries and by retailers such as Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn, along with various designer showcases.

Born in Hawaii, Chelsey has lived in many places throughout the US and extensively traveled internationally as part of a Navy family. When she is not working or painting, she loves to cook, run, hike, ski, travel and find new adventures. Ask her about the time she went shark-cage diving.

Office Manager

Contact Kathryn

Kathryn Binney is a purpose-driven leader who recently joined the Intesa team as Office Manager, bringing her experience from the vibrant San Diego Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. She excels at building connections and creating meaningful impact. With a sharp eye for detail and exceptional organizational skills, Kathryn has built a career focused on fostering teamwork, enhancing productivity and nurturing strong relationships with colleagues and clients alike.

Kathryn approaches every project with energy, creativity and a healthy dose of fun. Whether she’s streamlining workflows, planning events, forging partnerships or inspiring her team, she believes in the power of small, intentional actions to spark big, meaningful results.

With over 15 years in office management, Kathryn has led dynamic projects, executed numerous trade shows and events and has earned a reputation as a reliable and inspiring collaborator. For her, success isn’t just about hitting targets — it’s about creating lasting value and making a difference.

When Kathryn isn’t busy driving results in the workplace, she’s embracing life’s adventures with the same passion and purpose. From exploring the vibrant markets of Morocco to driving deep into Baja California, she’s always up for a journey that expands her horizons. A lover of all things health and wellness, she’s constantly exploring the latest trends in beauty and self-care.

Kathryn takes the most pride in her role as a mom to two amazing daughters. Fueled by family, global adventures and her love for animals, she lives with curiosity and a commitment to leaving every space better than she found it.

Senior Manager, Strategic Communications
Contact Emily

Emily Alvarenga is Intesa’s senior manager, strategic communications, working with her colleagues to craft each client’s distinct story and share it with the world. As an award-winning former journalist, Emily brings with her nearly a decade of experience in media relations, a knack for storytelling and a strong news judgment honed in the newsroom. 

Emily’s deep journalism roots fuel her belief that every client has a distinctive narrative that deserves to be told in a way that connects with their audience — and heard in today’s changing media landscape, where coverage by traditional outlets is no longer guaranteed. 

At Intesa, she is channeling this ethos to help clients confidently communicate their vision and values with clarity and confidence. Her work elevating underrepresented voices and navigating high-stakes moments with accuracy and care earned her recognition as a 2026 San Diego Business Journal 40 Under 40 finalist.

Prior to joining Intesa, Emily was a reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune — serving most recently as the county government reporter covering politics, policy and community issues, and previously as the paper’s community reporter highlighting issues impacting underserved populations — and before that, a senior staff writer at the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, a daily newspaper in Los Angeles County.

Her experience covering a diverse range of subjects has sharpened her instinct for compelling storytelling, and her journalism background is also why you’ll notice the lack of an Oxford comma — per AP style — because some habits die hard.

She now applies that rigor to strategic communications, challenging traditional media strategies to ensure important stories are told — translating complex, emotionally charged issues into clear, responsible communications while balancing competing priorities and perspectives, where tone, timing and clarity are essential to maintaining trust and credibility.

Emily is conversational in Spanish and Portuguese. Born to Brazilian immigrant parents, she is a proud first-generation American who has cultivated a unique perspective that understands the importance of an individual’s culture and traditions, using those diverse customs to amplify voices and experiences in a way that resonates with a wide audience. 

Emily is a graduate of San Diego State University who grew up in Temecula. She lived in England for three years, but as a California native, she felt the strong pull of the sun and sand and was quickly drawn back to San Diego. 

When not hard at work, Emily enjoys all things Disney, traveling, reading a good book and snowboarding. She lives in Mission Valley with her boyfriend, Caleb, and their husky-malamute pup, Praia, which means “beach” in Portuguese.

Account Manager, Government Affairs
Contact Khayri

Khayri Carter, an account manager, government relations for Intesa Communications Group, brings his public affairs expertise, communication skills and community savvy to Intesa’s government relations team. In this role, Khayri assists public affairs, government relations and community relations campaigns in the land use, housing, tourism, non-profit and infrastructure industries.

Prior to joining Intesa, Khayri served for four years with a San Diego City Council member, where he served as both director of communications/media relations and as a community representative. In this role, he developed strong relationships with local news outlets, government bodies and diverse communities. While at San Diego City Hall, Khayri worked on a variety of issues and helped deliver significant improvements to the City of San Diego in the areas of government efficiency, youth tobacco and gun violence prevention, parks and recreation programming, and affordable housing and infrastructure, among many others.

Khayri serves as an ambassador for Sports San Diego, the marketing entity for San Diego as a sports destination, which is best known for producing events like the Holiday Bowl, Rady Children’s Invitational, and California State Games, as well as serving as San Diego’s sports commission. He is also a social media/marketing volunteer for the Swish Pro-Am League, San Diego’s premier off-season basketball league.

Khayri holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from San Diego State University. A Sacramento native, Khayri has become very comfortable with the weather and lifestyle of San Diego. He spends most of his time attending or watching sporting events, particularly SDSU, San Diego FC/San Diego Wave, Philadelphia Eagles and Sacramento Kings games. He also enjoys traveling, creating playlists with the new music he discovers and shopping.

Account Coordinator, Communications
Contact HaiJay

HaiJay White is an account coordinator at Intesa, where she supports a diverse portfolio of clients through strategic communications, media relations, digital content development and storytelling. 

Known for her boundless creativity and thoughtful approach to client service, HaiJay helps organizations craft compelling narratives that build visibility, strengthen reputation and connect with key audiences. At Intesa, she brings a deep passion for authentic storytelling and an instinct for connecting people with the ideas and causes that matter to them.

Since joining Intesa as an intern in 2024, HaiJay has played a key role in drafting media materials, managing social media content and supporting high-profile client initiatives across a range of industries. She brings joy, a collaborative mindset and a keen understanding of how authentic storytelling drives engagement.

You will also never catch HaiJay turning down a gala or networking event. A natural connector, HaiJay has a gift for building relationships that open doors and create meaningful opportunities for the clients and communities she serves.

HaiJay earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from San Diego State University, where she served as vice president of finance for the University’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). She remains active in the communications community as a member of both the San Diego chapter of PRSA, serving on the Bernays Award committee, and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Her background in communications leadership, research and public engagement continues to inform her work at Intesa — grounded in the belief that every organization has a distinctive narrative that deserves to be told in a way that resonates with its audience.

Originally from Orange County, HaiJay is passionate about building strong relationships and making sure every client’s story reaches across San Diego’s diverse communities.

In her free time, you can find HaiJay line dancing at the local country bar, baking her famous chocolate chip cookies, volunteering in her local community or planning her next travel destination.