Christopher Santarelli is Vice President, Connect Creative – East. Based in Connect Media’s New York City office, Chris leads client strategy for Eastern U.S.-based real estate businesses engaging Connect Creative, the company’s strategic communications and creative agency.
Chris brings more than 15 years of experience shaping narratives on how public policy and the built environment influence the decisions businesses and individuals make with their feet. His media relations, thought leadership, and issues management strategies have advanced key initiatives for high-profile real estate companies, advocacy organizations, and elected officials.
Prior to joining Connect Creative, Chris served as Director of Media Relations for the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the leading professional association and advocacy organization for New York City’s real estate owners, brokers, developers, and investment managers across property types. During his tenure at REBNY, Chris promoted a wide range of data-driven analyses on the post-pandemic office sector and the future of work, helping the market quantify the flight to quality and the potential universe for office-to-residential conversions. Other media relations efforts advanced successful advocacy campaigns for supply-focused solutions to address New York City’s housing crisis, as well as to draw attention to growing financial pressures facing the multifamily industry.
Earlier in his career, Chris served as a Vice President at Marino, where he advised corporate and real estate clients including Cushman & Wakefield, Knotel, McDonald’s, Wolters Kluwer, Basis Investment Group, and Alvarez & Marsal Property Investments. He also previously led public relations initiatives for Savills across Central U.S. markets and served as Deputy Director of Communications for the New Jersey Treasury Department.
Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Boston University. He has served on the Young Professionals Steering Committee for the Association for a Better New York and the Board of Directors of Saint Mary’s High School (Manhasset, NY), as well as a homeless outreach volunteer for the Community of Sant’Egidio.
