Downtown Difference Maker: Christine Davis

Left: Christine Davis, Executive Director at Carlsbad Village Association (Courtesy: Christine Davis). Right: Flicks at the Fountain event draws a large crowd in downtown Carlsbad (Courtesy: Carlsbad Village Association).

CAMS Connection | Summer 2023
By: Brooke Fox, Marketing and Communications Consultant

In an award-winning Southern California village by the sea, there’s a wave of energy pushing the business and tourism community forward. That mighty force of nature is Christine Davis, Executive Director at Carlsbad Village Association (CVA). In her nearly 8 years with the organization, Christine has taken her community to new heights. In May, she was recognized for her efforts, receiving the California State Legislature Woman of Impact Award in Business and Entrepreneurship by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (District 77). 

Located just two blocks from the ocean, CVA is a 501c6 Accredited Main Street Community with a footprint of 10 square blocks. They offer several membership tiers, a year-round farmers market, and more than 20 events including the popular Taste of Carlsbad Village. Christine loves her community, saying, “The village has a vibe and an electricity to it. People are coming to the village as tourists or visitors, so they’re generally in a good mood.” 

Deep Roots in Small Business. Christine comes from an entrepreneurial family. Her grandparents emigrated to Chicago from Italy and opened a family-run deli. Christine studied law at UC Santa Barbara and journalism at San Diego State University. She went on to write and photograph stories for newspapers, often interviewing small business owners. 

Her Main Street Journey Kicked Off With….Shoes! What started as a vendor booth selling French shoes quickly grew into a successful storefront in Carlsbad Village for almost 10 years. Christine began attending CVA board meetings as a merchant, then as a board member, and eventually as part-time program manager. In 2019, she sold her shoe shop to take on the executive director position.

Building Trust Through Collaboration. After taking the reins, Christine got to work making sure events were executed safely and partnerships were beneficial for all involved. She always made a point to credit her city partners on newsletters and social media. When it comes to requests from city government partners, Christine’s approach has been to “Say ‘yes’ more than you say ‘no.’ Thank them for the opportunity and never miss a moment to remind them of your collaborative efforts.”

When the City of Carlsbad approached CVA to take over the management of the citywide street banner program, Christine and her board saw an opportunity for growth. The association had a successful program hanging 78 seasonal banners. Taking over the program for the entire city meant an increase to 195 banners. Christine sourced and hired a local company to print banners and install new hardware. The success of this program led to the first-ever installation of illuminated holiday garlands in the Village and an invitation to contribute to the city's first ever economic development strategic plan. CVA members helped formulate the key drivers for the plan, which was largely focused on post-pandemic recovery.

Photos from left to right: Christine with volunteers at the Heart of Carlsbad Blood Drive and Valentine Pop Up event (Courtesy: Carlsbad Village Association); Street Fair (Credit: Taylor Renee Mohr Photography); Christine with Main Street leaders at 2023 CAMS Conference (Courtesy: California Main Street); CVA volunteers staff a booth (Courtesy: Carlsbad Village Association).

In Her Own Words: When Things go Sideways…“Overall, I feel really fortunate in my Main Street career, but once I worked on a collaboration project that started planning too late and too big. We were able to rethink the project and luckily the collaborator was still willing to move forward. When things start to go sideways, you have to right the ship. As long as you learn from the experience and don’t repeat that mistake, you’re better for it. It’s one of my rules: you cannot plan far enough in advance.” 

Motivated to Grow. The organization has grown exponentially over the last decade. In addition to Christine’s role, CVA now has a full time program manager and a part time marketing and events assistant. Like many Main Street organizations, they discovered they were too dependent on revenue from events, so they diversified with membership packages and grant funding sources. Christine has invested in her own professional growth as well: she has attended multiple CAMS conferences and the Main Street Now Conferences in Seattle and Boston.

Ticketholders at the Taste of Carlsbad (Courtesy: Carlsbad Village Association).

What’s Next for Carlsbad Village? The CVA Board of Directors hopes the creation of a PBID will unlock funds for clean and safe, beautification, and placemaking. Initial discussions with community stakeholders through substantial outreach appear positive and the city has approved a PBID feasibility study. A workplan to keep everyone involved in the process is underway. 

Under Christine’s leadership and passion–and through the hard work and dedication of the CVA staff and Board–Carlsbad Village is thriving and reaching for more. We celebrate her commitment to moving her Main Street community forward and the vibrant energy she gives back to Carlsbad Village every day.