Tourism & Hospitality Council: Looking Ahead to Nights of Lights

Nights of Lights is just around the corner! Hear from Dave Chatterton with Old Town Trolley Tours and David Birchim with City of St. Augustine about what's new, what's changing, and what local businesses and residents can look forward to this season.

Dave Chatterton is the General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours & Attractions of St. Augustine, part of the Historic Tours of America family. He began his career in tourism and hospitality in St. Augustine in the early 1990s and joined Historic Tours of America in 2003 as Operations Manager for Old Town Trolley Tours of Savannah.

Although born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Dave moved to St. Augustine at a young age and considers the Nation’s Oldest City his hometown. After several years in Savannah, he returned home in 2007 as Operations Manager for Historic Tours of America’s St. Augustine operations, including Old Town Trolley Tours, the Authentic Old Jail, the St. Augustine History Museum, the Oldest Store Museum Experience, and Potter’s Wax Museum. He later advanced to General Manager, overseeing the company’s St. Augustine tours, attractions, operations, and community partnerships.

Throughout his career, Dave has remained deeply involved in St. Augustine’s tourism and hospitality community. He previously served as Treasurer of the Executive Board of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce and as Chair of the Chamber’s Tourism & Hospitality Council. He currently serves as Chair of the Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Board at Flagler College and as an Executive Board member of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. He was honored as the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year for 2013–2014 and also served for 10 years as Director of the St. Augustine Easter Parade.

Supporting Historic Tours of America’s longstanding commitment to children and education, Dave is a co-founder of the Jail Break 5K, an annual event benefiting INK! Investing in Kids. Now in its 10th year, the Jail Break 5K has grown into one of Northeast Florida’s fastest-growing races. All proceeds benefit INK!, which supports innovative programs designed to promote academic success for students and teachers throughout the St. Johns County School District.

Dave is also a co-founder of the St. Augustine Light Up the Night Display Contest, an initiative created to encourage local businesses to extend their holiday lighting displays throughout the month of January. Winners receive monetary awards and media packages, while the program helps extend the spirit and economic impact of St. Augustine’s celebrated Nights of Lights season. The initiative reflects a shared commitment among the tourism community to enhance the visitor experience while giving residents even more opportunities to enjoy one of the country’s most recognized holiday destinations.

David Birchim grew up in Jacksonville and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He Received a B.A. from the University of Florida 1991 and a Masters degree in Urban Planning from the University of Tennessee in 1997. David started working for the City of St. Augustine in the Planning and Building Department in 1997 as an entry level City Planner and was promoted several times, including Department Director and Assistant City Manager.  David was promoted to City Manager in June 2023. He is responsible for carrying out all policy decisions made by the City Commission as well as overseeing a staff of 409 employees in 9 Departments, including the Police Department and Fire Department, Utilities, Public Works, Planning and Building, Finance, the General Services Department, Administration Department and Human Resources.  He has recently overseen the development of the city’s homeless day center property and new island fire station, the purchase of several properties for long-term conservation and the partnership to build a new city parking garage.  David is an AICP Certified Planner. He has been a resident of the Lincolnville neighborhood for over 26 years and a proud Rotarian.