Christopher Murphy serves as Vice President of Government Relations and Community Engagement at Georgetown University where he manages the university’s strategic relationships with the Federal and District governments, community organizations and leaders, and the Georgetown neighborhood. Through this work, he seeks to advance the university’s long-term sustainability, promote the common good, and enrich students’ educational experience.
From 2011-2014 Murphy served as Chief of Staff to former Washington, DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray. In this capacity he managed the Executive Office of the Mayor to advance Mayor Gray’s highest priorities: growing and diversifying the District economy to create jobs and expand revenue, educating our children and preparing our workforce for the new economy, and improving the quality of life for all District residents.
Prior to joining the Gray Administration, Murphy served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff to then U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan. Murphy coordinated HUD’s Public Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Public Engagement, and Scheduling and Advance functions and co-led the Secretary’s agency Transformation Initiative. He also served as the Secretary’s liaison to the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs and the HUD Inspector General.
Before serving in the Obama Administration, Murphy was General Counsel and Executive Director for Human Resources of Atlantic Media Company – whose print and online publications include The Atlantic, National Journal, and Government Executive – where he advised Chairman David Bradley, served on the firm’s Executive Committee, managed the company’s diverse legal work, and oversaw employee recruitment, training, benefits, organizational culture, and community engagement.
For the eight years prior to joining Atlantic Media, Murphy founded and led City Year Washington, DC, the local chapter of the AmeriCorps national service program that unites diverse 17-24 year olds for a demanding year of full-time community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. Under Murphy’s leadership, City Year Washington, DC twice won the award for the best City Year program in the then-17-site national network.
Prior to founding City Year Washington, DC, Murphy was an attorney at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) with a practice focused on commercial, antitrust, and education litigation. He also worked for Senator Edward M. Kennedy and served on the start-up team for President Clinton’s AmeriCorps initiative.
Murphy is an honors graduate of both Harvard University and the Georgetown University Law Center where he served as an Editor on the Georgetown Law Journal. He is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bars as well as the Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2010. Murphy was named to Washington Business Forward magazine’s 2001 Next Network and received a 2003 Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund of the United States and a 2005 Comcast Leadership Award. He has been profiled as a "hometown hero" on WUSA Channel 9's popular JC & Friends segment, and in 2006 then-Mayor Anthony Williams appointed him as a Founding Member of the Washington, DC Task Force on HIV and AIDS. He currently serves as a Chevy Chase Citizens Association Neighborhood Watch Block Captain, a Board Member of City Year Washington, DC, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, and the Georgetown Business Improvement District, and a Capitol City Little League coach.