Wharf Partners is committed to integrity, innovation, hard work and collaboration in order to service our clients to achieve results. Founded with a desire not only to support the public advocacy and communication needs of our clients, but also to positively impact the community around us, we are driven by companies who are equally as compelled to work for the greater good.

With a focus on community, government and media relations, we partner with our clients to develop an integrated communications strategy, outreach campaign or business development plan to satisfy their goals. Touting a diverse set of clients and issues, we can build a brand, obtain a permit, foster a relationship, manage an event, fundraise, garner support, pitch a story, develop a website or identify new business.

We Represent:

Real Estate Development Companies, Contractors and Subcontractors

Non-Profit Organizations

Industry and Advocacy Associations

Ballot Initiatives and Political Campaigns

For Profit Businesses

A representative list of our clients includes:

Abbott Development, Amherst Media, Citizens Bank, Claddagh Fund, Equity Office Properties, Simpson Housing, Sullivan & McLaughlin Companies, Synergy, and Tishman Construction.

With experience in government, campaigns, media and non-profits, we provide a unique understanding of the political, economic and social dynamics to navigate success.

Our Team:

Christine S. McMahon, Principal and Founder

Christine McMahon created Wharf Partners in June 2008 to strategically advise clients on community relations, real estate development and corporate positioning.

She develops and implements community relations campaigns on behalf of public and private development initiatives, candidates for public offices, corporations seeking to grow market share and community organizations looking to advance a cause or impact a referendum question. Christine combines grassroots tactics with media and government relations to effectively communicate the benefits of a project or issue and to mitigate concerns, in order to create a winning situation for both the client and the community. Working with her client, she develops key messages and objectives to serve as the cornerstone for each campaign and then she builds coalitions to secure the necessary support of elected and appointed officials, opinion leaders, community members and/or voters.

The real estate development practice is dedicated to every aspect of the development process, including deal sourcing and team assemblage, permits and approvals, design and construction. Christine works not only with large national development companies on high-level state and municipal entitlements, but also with individual owners and construction companies to secure zoning relief, a building permit or a certificate of occupancy.
Regardless of the industry or scope, she is able to work toward specific goals in a deliberate and scheduled manner to achieve positive results. Recent clients include Citizens Bank, JPI, O'Neill Properties, Amherst Media, Big Apple Circus and the Downtown North Association.

Prior to joining Wharf Partners, Christine served as Vice President of Community Relations for O'Neill and Associates. In this role, she managed the company's permitting and development consulting practice, working with developers and institutions to navigate the complex political and entitlement process in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.

Christine is actively involved in a number of non-profit organizations including the Claddagh Fund, SPARK Center, Charlestown Youth Soccer Association, and the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. She sits on the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health Board of Directors and the Heading Home, Inc. Advisory Board. She also created and co-chairs the Heading Home Outreach Council, the organization's young professionals' board.

Christine graduated, cum laude, from Boston College with a bachelor's degree in political science.