Leeza’s Care Connection honors SC State Trustee Dr. Macie P. Smith with 2025 North Star Award at Illuminate Gala
This year, that glow shone brightest on Dr. Macie P. Smith, who received Leeza’s Care Connection’s highest honor, the North Star Award, on Nov. 20, 2025. Smith is vice chair of the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees.
The North Star Award is reserved for someone who stands as a steady guide when caregiving becomes overwhelming. For many families, that person has been Smith.
“At Leeza’s Care Connection, we have relied upon Macie to be a beacon for us; to lift and inspire us with her wisdom and support — (not to mention her style and humor!),” said Leeza Gibbons, Emmy Award-winning television personality and founder of Leeza’s Care Connection. “She represents everything this award stands for: grace under pressure, guidance with compassion, and an unshakable belief in the power of community.”
A licensed social worker and gerontologist, Smith has more than two decades of experience working with aging and vulnerable populations. Her work spans support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive impairment, intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and extends to their families who often bear the burden of caregiving.
The admiration for Smith and her work is shared well beyond the caregiving community.
“Dr. Macie P. Smith continues to make South Carolina State University and the entire state of South Carolina proud through her leadership, her advocacy and her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of aging adults and their caregivers,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said. “Her recognition with the North Star Award reflects what so many of us already know — she is a guiding light for families and communities navigating some of life’s most challenging moments.
“We are grateful for the compassion and expertise she brings to every space she serves, including her service as vice chair of the SC State University Board of Trustees,” Conyers said.
The Illuminate Gala has always been more than a celebration. It is a rare moment when caregivers, advocates and community leaders come together to acknowledge the emotional, physical and spiritual demands of supporting aging loved ones. The North Star Award mirrors that purpose, honoring someone whose presence offers direction when life becomes disorienting. Smith has spent her career doing exactly that.
As CEO of Diversified Training Consultants Group, a geriatric care-management organization, Smith provides expert guidance and practical resources to families and professionals navigating elder care. She is also the author of "A Dementia Caregiver’s Guide to Care."
Through leadership, mentorship and tireless commitment to service, Smith has become one of those lights for countless people across the country.
“When asked to accept this honor by THE Leeza Gibbons, my first thought was, ‘Is she talking about me?’ Then I realized how closely our missions were aligned, and I accepted without hesitation,” Smith said. “I’m a fervent believer that we do well by doing good.
“Receiving this award from such a prestigious individual and entity — it shows me that all the work I’ve done to get to this point was not in vain and has not gone unnoticed,” she said. “While the work that I do is truly heart work and not done for recognition, it sure does feel special when you’re recognized in such a thoughtful way.”
A proud SC State alumna, Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in social work in 1995 and a master’s in rehabilitation counseling in 2002, later completing a doctorate in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She has served on the SC State University Board of Trustees since 2021.
Smith was introduced at the Illuminate Gala by Douglas D. Gantt, chairman of the SC State Board of Trustees. Gantt and Conyers were joined in congratulating Smith at the event by members of the President's Cabinet and SC State staff.
The 2025 Illuminate Gala brought caregivers, community partners and champions of aging together for an evening centered on connection, resilience and the people who make hope possible.
