The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) has announced the recipients of the 2025 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 public health.

This year’s leaders include: 

  • Julie Spier, RPh, recipient of the 2025 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award;
  • Jeffrey J. Mesaros, PharmD, JD, RPh, recipient of the 2025 NABP President’s Award;
  • Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists, recipient of the 2025 Fred T. Mahaffey Award;
  • Jenni Wai, MBA, RPh, recipient of the 2025 John F. Atkinson Service Award;
  • Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN, recipient of the 2025 Henry Cade Memorial Award; and
  • Caroline D. Juran, BSPharm, DPh (Hon), recipient of the 2025 Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award.

Biographies for the award recipients follow.

2025 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award: Julie Spier, RPh

Julie Spier, president of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy since 2019, is receiving the 2025 Carmen A. Catizone Honorary President Award in recognition of her dedication to NABP’s mission and goals and her commitment to protecting public health. An active NABP member, Spier has served on several NABP task forces and committees, including the Task Force to Review Institutional Pharmacy and Compounding Model Rules in 2024, the Task Force on Pharmacist and Pharmacy Personnel Mental Health and Well-Being in 2023, the Task Force on Safety-Sensitive Measures to Review Medication Errors in 2021, and the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws in 2021. Spier has worked for a chain pharmacy for 38 years, serving in the capacity of pharmacist, pharmacy manager, regional pharmacy manager, patient care services manager, and, currently, director of pharmacy operations. In addition, she is a member of the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, Texas Pharmacy Association, American Leadership Forum Med Class 5, and the University of Houston Dean’s Advisory Council, and she serves on the Texas Pharmacy Congress. Spier received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Sam Houston State University and a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

2025 NABP President’s Award: Jeffrey J. Mesaros, PharmD, JD, RPh

Jeffrey J. Mesaros, 2024-2025 NABP president and a member of the Florida Board of Pharmacy, is receiving the 2025 NABP President’s Award. Prior to becoming NABP president, he served one-year terms as president-elect and treasurer and one- and two-year member terms (District 3) on the Executive Committee (2019-2020 and 2020-2022). As NABP president, Mesaros led an initiative focused on embracing technological advances and exploring how to effectively regulate their application in pharmacy practice. Mesaros focused his initiative on providing resources to help boards of pharmacy and pharmacies with the adoption of innovative technologies to ultimately improve patient outcomes and workplace safety. Key to this initiative is the development of NABP’s Research and Innovation Institute, which serves as a connection between the boards of pharmacy, regulated entities, and third parties to share, study, and evaluate relevant digital health technologies and resources from a regulatory perspective.

An active member of NABP, Mesaros has served on numerous task forces and committees, including the Committee on Resolutions as the District 3 delegate, the Work Group on the Development of an Interstate Endorsement Credential, the Task Force on the Regulation of Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and the Task Force on the Definition of a Patient-Pharmacist Relationship. Mesaros has been a registered pharmacist for more than 20 years and has practiced as a pharmacist attorney for more than 15 years. He earned his doctor of pharmacy degree from Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, his juris doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law, and his master of science degree in pharmacy regulation and policy from the University of Florida.

Fred T. Mahaffey Award: Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists

The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists (NSCP) is receiving the 2025 Fred T. Mahaffey Award for its contributions to the regulation of the practice of pharmacy. In response to increasing concerns by pharmacy professionals in Nova Scotia about their workplace conditions, in 2019, the NSCP began exploring how pharmacy regulators could intervene. After reviewing research and literature on staffing levels and speaking to practitioners in Nova Scotia, the College launched the Staffing and Workload Initiative for Safety and Effectiveness (StaffWISE) project. Over the next five years, the NSCP worked with Davis Pier Consulting to develop its StaffWISE Staffing Score, a robust, evidence-based, data-driven regulatory indicator intended to enable the NSCP to ensure that Nova Scotia community pharmacies have the staffing needed to consistently deliver quality services in a way that can be sustained by pharmacy professionals. The NSCP will use the findings of the multiyear project and the StaffWISE Staffing Score to set and enforce minimum staffing levels in Nova Scotia’s community pharmacies. The findings can also be used by pharmacy managers and owners to help understand and improve pharmacy operations. In 2024, the NSCP began implementing the StaffWISE Staffing Score indicator using a risk-based approach that prioritizes pharmacies with the lowest scores while also ensuring all pharmacies are actively engaged in monitoring and improving their scores.

John F. Atkinson Service Award: Jenni Wai, MBA, RPh

Jenni Wai, chief pharmacist for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, is receiving the 2025 John F. Atkinson Service Award for her sustained and significant contributions to the mission of NABP and the pharmacy regulation landscape. As chief pharmacist, Wai provides expert guidance on pharmacy practice, clinical knowledge, and the application of federal and state regulations to the Board’s executive director, board members, and stakeholders. In addition, she acts as a liaison with state and federal stakeholders, provides educational outreach on state and federal laws and regulations concerning the legal distribution of dangerous drugs, and provides technical expertise in drafting new rules and reviewing existing rules. Prior to joining the Board, Wai served as a director of pharmacy in a large, integrated health system in central Ohio and has more than 25 years of practical pharmacy experience. Actively involved in NABP, Wai participated in the 2021 NABP Interactive Compliance Officer and Legal Counsel Forum, the 2022 Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) State Regulator Pilot project, and a webinar that provided an update on the DSCSA pilot. She was also a speaker at the 118th and 120th NABP Annual Meetings. In addition, Wai served on numerous panels with NABP, Food and Drug Administration, Healthcare Distribution Alliance, and the Partnership for DSCSA Governance regarding DSCSA requirements. Wai received a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and a master of business administration degree from Franklin University.

Henry Cade Memorial Award: Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN

Maryann Alexander is receiving the 2025 Henry Cade Memorial Award for her dedication and extensive involvement in support of NABP’s goals and objectives to protect public health. Currently a visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, she is an expert in regulation and public policy. Previously, Alexander served for 19 years as chief officer, nursing regulation, for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and was editor in chief of the Journal of Nursing Regulation. During her tenure at NCSBN, she developed an internationally recognized research program, built a dynamic legislative and advocacy program, and created the International Center for Regulatory Scholarship, the first program of its kind devoted to enhancing the education, leadership, and networking of regulators. Prior to her role at NCSBN, Alexander was the executive officer of the Illinois Board of Nursing, an advanced practice registered nurse, and an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, has authored articles and book chapters, has won several national research awards, and has given numerous presentations nationally and internationally, including at the 115th NABP Annual Meeting and the 2022 Tri-Regulator Symposium. Alexander received her bachelor of science degree in nursing and master of science degree from Northwestern University, as well as a doctorate degree in nursing with an emphasis in health policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award: Caroline D. Juran, BSPharm, DPh (Hon)

Receiving the 2025 Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award for her strong commitment to protecting public health and significant involvement with NABP is Caroline Juran, 2021-2022 NABP president and current executive director of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. When proposed Drug Enforcement Administration regulations threatened to change the way Virginia’s emergency medical services (EMS) personnel would be able to obtain drugs to stock and restock drug kits, the Board worked with Virginia’s EMS community to forge workable solutions to be incorporated into emergency regulations and operationalized in a short period of time. Also under Juran’s leadership, the Board received the 2015 Fred T. Mahaffey Award for its efforts to ensure that compounding was performed in a safe and compliant manner. Juran served as a member of the Task Force to Review and Recommend Revisions to the Controlled Substances Act in 2012, represented NABP on the Pharmacist Minimum Data Set Work Group in 2012, and served as a member of the Committee on Law Enforcement/Legislation from 2012-2015, serving as chair from 2012-2013. She directly supported Virginia’s role in the development of the Verified Pharmacy Program® and assisted in the development of NABP’s Multistate Pharmacy Inspection Blueprint Program. Juran completed her studies at the College of William and Mary, earned her bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, and received an honorary doctor of pharmacy license from the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy.

Media Contact
media@nabp.pharmacy