Our Commitment

The Smith Vicars Family Foundation embodies the commitment of the Smith family, beginning with Hunter and Carl Smith, to steward and improve communities through philanthropy.

Hunter, a native of Martinsville, Virginia, graduated from the College of William & Mary. In 1951, Hunter married Carl, a native of Wise, Virginia, and a graduate of the University of Virginia. Carl began his successful business career with the Anderson & Strudwick Investment Company in Richmond and went on to found the energy and finance company AMVEST Corporation headquartered in Charlottesville. Hunter, who continues to reside in the Commonwealth, and Carl, who passed in 2005, have significantly impacted their home state of Virginia.  

The next generation of the family continues this legacy. Hunter and Carl’s son Stuart P. Smith, serves as President of the Smith Vicars Family Foundation. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Stuart’s career includes leadership roles within AMVEST Corporation where he oversaw acquisitions, strategy, investment management, and corporate governance. He also established AMVEST Communications to produce documentaries on a variety of subjects such as education, health care, child development, and civic responsibilities. Stuart’s background includes additional executive roles and the founding of Central Recovery – the parent company of behavioral health organizations nationwide.

As astute innovators in the business world, the Smith family has carried innovative thinking through to their philanthropy, investing in new initiatives; capital campaigns; brick-and-mortar projects; and challenge or matching grants – all to drive positive change within communities that matter to the Smith family and the Foundation’s philanthropic priorities.