David R. Swales, Managing Director [Full Bio]
David Swales oversees operations at client properties including quality control, financial reporting, procedures and human resources. Prior to Affinity, he managed a number of golf clubs and hospitality businesses, including the prestigious Wentworth Club (PGA Championship, World Match Play) in England. In 1991 he was recruited by the noted retailer Sir Bernard Ashley (Laura Ashley) to manage Keswick Club in Virginia. He has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, part of which was at two of Europe's major hotel companies: Trust House Forte and Mount Charlotte-Thistle Hotel Group. Swales was recognized as the 2003 Businessman of the Year for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He holds a BA in Hotel Management from Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge, U.K., and also serves on the Board of Directors for the financial services firm Community Mission Financial, Inc.
In memory of Damon S. DeVito, 1967-2023 [Full Bio, Obit]
Damon DeVito's passing left a hole in not just the local Charlottesville community, but in the national golf community. A master of strategic planning, business development and marketing, Damon held an MBA from the UVA’s Darden School of Business where he was awarded the Hyde Fellowship. Prior to Darden, he was a consultant to Fortune 500 companies with Corporate Decisions. DeVito also had a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in Finance from the Wharton School where he co-founded the Penn Student Credit Union. He was a member of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative and also served on the Boards of a wide variety of technology start-ups, charities and golf organizations. He was an angel investor and entrepreneur, and he was particularly proud of teaching and mentoring UVA students, and of raising over $750,000 in eight years for UVA’s Children's Hospital.
