NABP Announces 2023 Leaders at the Forefront of Public Health Protection 

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy^® (NABP^®) has announced the recipients of the 2023 NABP Leadership Awards. Each year, the Association presents awards to individuals who have worked with unwavering dedication to ensure NABP’s continued service to the regulation of pharmacy practice and to the state boards of pharmacy in protecting the public health. 

This year’s leaders include:  

• Terry Talbott, RPh, 2023 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award; 
• Reginald B. “Reggie” Dilliard, DPh, recipient of the 2023 NABP President’s Award;  
• South Carolina Board of Pharmacy, recipient of the 2023 Fred T. Mahaffey Award;  
• Alexandra E. Blasi, JD, MBA, recipient of the 2023 John F. Atkinson Service Award;  
• Robert Eugene Braylock, PharmD, MBA, RPh, recipient of a 2023 Henry Cade Memorial Award;  
• Aaron Graham, recipient of a 2023 Henry Cade Memorial Award; and  
• Andrew Funk, PharmD, RPh, recipient of the 2023 Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award. 

Biographies for the award recipients follow. 

2023 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award: Terry Talbott, RPh  

A member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy, Terry Talbott served as the Board’s chairman for numerous years. She is director of pharmacy and retail advocacy for CVS Health. Talbott has served on several NABP task forces and committees and chaired the Advisory Committee on Examinations. She currently serves on the Research Advisory Committee, to which she was appointed in 2021. Talbott serves on the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Council and is active in the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, of which she was president from 1998 to 1999. She earned her bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Duquesne University. 

2023 NABP President’s Award: Reginald B. “Reggie” Dilliard, DPh 

During his presidency, Reginald B. “Reggie” Dilliard led an initiative focused on facilitating a new pharmacy practice model that enhances and promotes patient safety and provides a supportive environment for pharmacy professionals. An active member of NABP, Dilliard has served on numerous task forces and committees, including the Task Force on the Regulation of Pharmacist Care Services, the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation, and the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws. Prior to becoming NABP president, he served one-year terms as president-elect and treasurer, respectively, a two-year member term (District 3) on the Executive Committee from 2017 to 2019, and a three-year member term from 2005 to 2008. He served as the executive director of the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy from 2013 to 2021. Dilliard earned his bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. 

Fred T. Mahaffey Award: South Carolina Board of Pharmacy  

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation – Board of Pharmacy has made many notable contributions to the practice of pharmacy, including removing overly broad and invasive mental health questions in pharmacist and technician applications and renewals; creating, disseminating, and promoting a form for licensees to report unsafe working conditions and understaffed pharmacy personnel; updating state-certified technician qualifications to include Pharmacy Technician Certification Board-recognized programs; developing a work group to review white bagging and brown bagging policies; participating in a work group created to update the state pharmacy practice act; training and empowering pharmacy inspectors to be educational rather than punitive; and streamlining the reciprocity interview process for pharmacist licensure. 

John F. Atkinson Service Award: Alexandra E. Blasi, JD, MBA 

Alexandra E. Blasi, executive secretary of the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy since 2015, currently serves on the NABP Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation and is chair of the NABP PMP InterConnect^® Steering Committee. Blasi also participated in NABP’s Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) State Regulator Pilot with the United States pharmaceutical supply chain, which undertook an effort to help outline the use cases and explore potential pathways needed for the industry to implement and enforce the November 2023 DSCSA requirements. She has presented at the NABP Executive Officer Forum and the 2022 Tri-Regulator Symposium. Blasi has led several state-level committees and championed Kansas’ prescription drug monitoring program, K-TRACS. In addition, she presides over an interagency council to better advance regulatory excellence and monitor relevant legislative bills with a focus on identifying barriers in existing statutes or regulations that limit patient access to medication and care. Blasi earned her juris doctor degree and master of business administration from Washburn University.  

Henry Cade Memorial Award: Robert Eugene Braylock, PharmD, MBA, RPh 

Robert E. Braylock, principal and chief operating officer of BHK Consulting, LLC, led NABP and six other organizations in a project intended to increase the number of individuals in racial and ethnic minority groups working in health care professions and to improve health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority populations in the US. The three-year project, titled “Eliminating Generational Racial Health Disparities,” is supported by a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services and examines how policies affect racial and ethnic minority populations from early childhood education through their experiences as health care professionals and leaders to identify where improvements can be made. With more than 15 years as a health care professional, educator, and a unity, equity, and justice practitioner, Braylock has experience developing and organizing hundreds of initiatives that enhance the educational, employment, and economic outcomes of individuals and communities. In addition, he has authored several publications and participated in numerous panels, podcasts, and presentations. Braylock earned his doctor of pharmacy and master of business administration from the University of Findlay. 

Henry Cade Memorial Award: Aaron Graham 

Aaron Graham, executive director of brand safety and security for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, is receiving a 2023 Henry Cade Memorial Award for promoting NABP’s Verify Before You Buy initiative and the safe.pharmacy website, particularly in Spanish-speaking communities. In his current role, Graham focuses on directing anti-counterfeiting investigations in furtherance of patient safety; developing and implementing innovative solutions for medication authentication; and partnering with law enforcement officials, prosecutors, multicultural organizations, and health care associations to enhance the health and well-being of all patients. Graham attends events across the country to educate about the pervasiveness of criminals selling counterfeit medications online. In addition, he assists law enforcement at local, state, and federal levels to conduct surveillance and undercover buys of counterfeit medications. He also provides guidance and training on seizing illicit and counterfeit medicines. Prior to his current position, Graham served in similar senior global security roles with worldwide responsibility at several other companies. Graham served for many years in the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), first as special agent and later in several capacities that included conducting undercover drug smuggling and money laundering investigations, as well as on the DEA SWAT team. Graham earned his bachelor of science degree in business administration and finance from the United States International University. 

Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award: Andrew Funk, PharmD, RPh 

Andrew Funk has been executive director of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy since 2015 and served as a compliance officer from 2013-2015. Under his leadership, the Board recently adopted rules that update Iowa’s telepharmacy practice, allow for collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and Iowa state-licensed prescribers who have independent prescribing authority, and require minimum pharmacy security standards and controlled substance accountability requirements. In addition, Funk onboarded a new licensing database that permits online applications and renewals, and he implemented an updated prescription monitoring program software platform. Also under Funk’s leadership, the Board received the 2022 Fred T. Mahaffey Award for a successful and multifaceted rules update. Funk has chaired several NABP task forces and served as a presenter at NABP’s Annual Meetings, Executive Officer Forums, and a home study webinar on expanding scope of practice for pharmacy technicians. Funk earned his doctor of pharmacy from Roseman University of Health Sciences.