Thank you for considering a donation to the WCBR Foundation
Your gift will truly make a difference in the lives of residents and staff at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge. To give, click on the secure donate button.
Built on a tradition of compassion
Traditions enable us to honor the past, celebrate the present, and provide a legacy for the future. The traditions honored at the Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge retirement community enrich our lives, strengthen our connections to one another and offer a foundation upon which to build our future.
The Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge Foundation supports both our residents and associates through a variety of charitable efforts described below. To make a tax-deductible gift in support of those efforts, you may donate from this website or through one of the options described below under How You Can Help.
What We Do
The Foundation gathers private support for charitable activities; your unrestricted gift will allow our trustees to use your gift wherever it is most needed. The primary focus of the Foundation is to provide a safety net to residents who outlive their financial resources. The Fellowship program provides confidential support to both current and prospective residents who need assistance in meeting the costs of living at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge. No one has ever had to leave the community for lack of funds.
The Foundation also offers support to our hardworking associates whose caring and dedication to their work make a tremendous difference in the happiness and well-being of all who call our community home.
The Newton and Wilma Thomas Education Fund offers financial assistance for educational expenses to qualifying full- and part-time associates. The Foundation will pay up to $4,000 per year for full-time associates and up to $3,000 per year for part-time associates to cover expenses such as tuition, books, lab and testing fees, and licensure certification. The Student Loan Assistance Fund helps qualifying associates with their student debt.
We recognize that unexpected obstacles may arise in a person’s life resulting in a financial crisis. The Associates Emergency Assistance program will provide up to $2,000 in assistance per year to eligible full- and part-time associates who are experiencing financial hardship due to emergency situations beyond their control.
The Foundation supports additional initiatives above and beyond the amenities already a part of WCBR living. These include dementia care, music and art therapy, concerts and speakers, the library, and our Clinical Pastoral Education program.
How You Can Help
Your tax-deductible gift to Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge Foundation will assist us in helping those at our community when they need extra support.
For assistance with any of the following, please contact Vice President of Development Erin Garvey via email or by calling 434-972-3281.
- Donate from this website, or send us your gift by mail
- Gifts of appreciated stock
- Gifts from a Donor Advised Fund
- IRA charitable rollovers
- Bequests and trusts
- Charitable gift annuity or remainder trust
- Gifts of real estate or personal property
- Beneficiary gifts of life insurance or assets from a qualified retirement plan
- Entrance fee refunds
- Other planned gifts such as charitable lead trusts and assets from a qualified retirement plan
Gifting to Honor or Memorialize Another
Would you like to honor a treasured neighbor, friend or family member? You may direct your donation to a particular program or leave it undesignated for use where it is most needed. We will send a letter to an individual you designate informing them of your thoughtfulness without disclosing the amount.
For assistance, please contact Director of Development, Erin Garvey via email or by calling 434-972-3281.
Foundation Trustees and Officers
Jim Greene served as a Science Expert for the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the US House of Representatives for both Republican and Democratic leadership. Jim was staff director for the US Fire Administrator and retired from the National Security Office, both part of FEMA. He has degrees from Appalachian State University and a PhD from Virginia Tech. Jim was a staff wildlife photographer with Florida Wildlife Magazine and published two wildlife books at WCBR. Jim and his, wife, Betsy, became WCBR residents in 2013.
Alan Culbertson is Chairman and CEO of A.N. Culbertson & Company, Inc., a wealth management firm headquartered in Charlottesville. He has served as Chair of both the WCBR Corporate and Foundation Boards. Alan has also been privileged to chair or serve on some thirty other civic boards and committees, including Martha Jefferson Hospital, Piedmont Virginia Community College, the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and Hospice of the Piedmont.
In January 2019, Anna joined WCBR’s executive team as CFO, having previously served as a WCBR Board Trustee and Finance Committee Chair. Anna has an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and a BS in Petroleum Engineering from West Virginia University. Bringing over three decades of experience in financial management, operations and strategy to her role, Anna has 15 years of healthcare finance experience developed in the acute care setting. Her prior roles include serving as Chief Financial Officer for West Virginia University Health system’s East Region. Anna also served as Director of Financial Planning for Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, where she developed the strategic capital planning process, managed the annual budgeting process, and led the financial analysis and decision support functions. Anna resides in Albemarle County with her husband, Ron.
Gary has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since July 2005. Previously, he served at Goodwin House, Inc. and was the Executive Director of Goodwin House Alexandria from 1993-2005. He is a graduate of Westminster College and received a Master’s of Health Services Administration from George Washington University. He is a licensed Virginia Nursing Home Administrator. Mr. Selmeczi has been active in various professional, trade and civic organizations, served as President of the Charlottesville Rotary Club, a Juror in the Design for Aging program, a former Evaluator for the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission, and is currently serving a four-year term on the State Medical Facilities Plan Task Force. He also serves as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. Gary resides in Earlysville with his wife, Aileen.
Erin joined the WCBR Leadership Team in 2013, following eight years at the local non-profit, Ready Kids, where she served as Director of Development and Communications. As Vice President of Development at WCBR, Erin runs day-to-day operations of the Foundation. A longtime Charlottesville resident, Erin is enjoying a second career after spending 25 years in commercial photography with a specialization in product advertising. A graduate of James Madison University and former Peace Corps volunteer, Erin has immersed herself in a wide variety of volunteer activities during her 40-plus years in Charlottesville. From city schools to youth soccer and local politics, she has established deep roots in the local community.
A native of Georgia, Bob has been a resident of Albemarle County for more than 40 years. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Mississippi. He began his career in Southwest Georgia before embarking on a 38 year career with Albemarle County in 1973, serving as County Executive for 20 years. His career in urban planning and local government management complemented his role as an adjunct professor in UVA’s School of Architecture. Bob is a former Chair/President of the Senior Center's Board of Directors. He and his wife Donna live in Crozet and are members of the First United Methodist Church, where Bob has served on Church Council, as Vice-Chair of the Endowment Committee and as Church Lay Leader.
Cyndy and her husband, Len, moved to WCBR from Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2014. She grew up in Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University. Cyndy worked in marketing at Ford Motor Company for many years and retired at the end of 1998. She currently serves on the Board of Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums. She is a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.
Nick is retired from the UVA Health System where he served as a senior administrator for 25 years. He formerly served on the WCBR Corporate Board as Chairman, along with various UVA Boards, and currently serves as a member emeritus of the Session of Trinity Presbyterian Church. Nick and his wife, Linda, are residents at WCBR. They have been married for 55 years and have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Jim is a retired lawyer and former partner and chair of Steptoe & Johnson, LLP in Washington, DC. He was a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates and served as national Chairman of the ABA Section of Taxation. In the Charlottesville area, he has served as President of the Ednam Community Association, as a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of Farmington Country Club, and as Treasurer and a member of the Vestry at Grace Episcopal Church, Cismont. Jim and his wife, Mary, have been residents of WCBR since 2014, and Jim has served as chairman of the WCBR Residents’ Association Finance Committee. Jim and Mary have three married sons, two living in London and one in San Francisco, with five grandchildren among them.
Denise is a recently retired Certified Financial Planner. During her career with American Express, Denise won many awards as a leading financial advisor. She worked for many years helping individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations develop and achieve their financial and investment goals. For the last 10 years, she has been a resident of WCBR. During her early years, Denise became qualified and then practiced as a court-certified mediator in Charlottesville.
After earning Master’s and PhD degrees in accounting at the University of Illinois, David returned to his native Virginia in 1983. Accepting a faculty position at UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, David remained for 30 years as an educator and researcher. David served on the American Accounting Association and the American Taxation Association. David and his wife, Eleanor, are members of First Presbyterian Church, where he has served as a deacon, ruling elder, and chair of their Finance and Administration Committee.
John Scott joined the UVA faculty in 1955 after earning his PhD at Princeton University. He founded the teaching and research programs in Aerospace Engineering and served as director/principal investigator of several large interdisciplinary research programs in applied science. He retired from the University of Virginia after 45 years of teaching and research as Professor of Engineering and Applied Science Emeritus. He and his wife, Betty, became WCBR residents in 1993. John is serving his second term as a Foundation Trustee.
Eric is an attorney with McCallum, Kudravetz where he specializes in estate, elder, and tax law. He received a BA in Government and History from the College of William and Mary and JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2007. Eric, his wife Angela, and their four children live in Crozet, Virginia.
Julie Stamm is currently a Principal at Vawter Capital, LLC, a private equity investment firm in Charlottesville where she has worked since 1999. Prior to that time, she was an Executive Director with Goldman Sachs in the San Francisco and London offices. She was also a Vice President at the Bank of Boston in Boston, Massachusetts. Julie is a graduate of Wellesley College. She has served on the Piedmont CASA and the Martha Jefferson Foundation Boards. Julie and her husband, Charlie, have been residents of WCBR since 2017.
Ross is WCBR’s only dual-board trustee, serving on both the Corporate and Foundation Boards. He is also the immediate past President of the WCBR Residents’ Association. Ross received his BS degree from the University of Virginia, and his MS and PhD from Penn State. During his career, Ross has served as the Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Babcock & Wilcox, an American industrial manufacturer best known for its fossil power, nuclear power, and environmental systems. He has also been professor and head of the Physics Department at Virginia Military Institute. Ross and his wife, Susan, have been residents of WCBR for more than five years. They are both very active members of the community.
Cammie has had an extensive career as Senior Vice President and Trust Officer at Wells Fargo Bank and as Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. Cammie recently retired from her position of General Manager of the Greencroft Club in Charlottesville. In addition to the Foundation, Cammie has served on several local Boards including The United Way, Tandem Friends School, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, the Greencroft Club, Albemarle County Rotary Club, and the Central Virginia Estate Planning Council. She and her husband, Mike, have two grown daughters. Cammie currently serves as the Chairman of the Philanthropy Committee.
Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant and Personal Financial Specialist. He is currently a Senior Vice President at Chilton Trust in Charlottesville. Kevin’s expertise includes client management at Sapere Wealth Management in Charlottesville, where he advised clients on financial matters, including taxation. He was also manager of the tax group at Silvercrest Asset Management Group in Charlottesville, where he handled tax compliance and planning for individuals, trusts, partnerships and foundations. Kevin earned his MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business, where he focused on investment management and business law, and his BS in accounting from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Kevin served as an advisor to the WCBR Audit Committee for two years prior to joining the Foundation Board.