Nominations are open January 9 through February 13 for the 2026 Footsteps Award.
2025 Award Recipient
Dr. Michael V. Smith (BSA ’79) was selected as the 2025 Footsteps Award recipient, in honor of his impact on the community. Smith is the CEO and founder of Marti Health, an innovative health care platform dedicated to improving the quality and consistency of health care for at-risk populations, including those with sickle cell disease and their caregivers. Previously, as chief of cardiothoracic surgery at the former Atlanta Medical Center, Smith launched the first early-detection lung cancer program in Georgia. Read the full story.
2024
Justice Benham, a 1970 graduate of UGA’s School of Law, is no stranger to breaking barriers. He was the first African American member of the Supreme Court of Georgia, and he was the longest-serving justice when he retired in 2020 after more than 30 years. Read the full story.
2023
Richard Dunn served as the executive director of the Athens-Clarke County High School Completion Initiative, established The Athens Courier, and hosted a weekly radio show. Xernona Thomas spent 31 years working in various roles in education — most recently as superintendent of the Clarke County School District. Read the full story.
2022
Eugenia Harvey, a graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for The WNET Group and is part of the organization’s senior leadership team. Read the full story.
