Tariah Hyland selected as the 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award recipient

Secretary of State Jeff Bullock on Monday announced that Tariah Hyland, a resident of Wilmington, has been selected for the prestigious 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award. The award, in honor of the late Congressman John Lewis, recognizes a gifted, civic-minded young Delawarean who has demonstrated leadership abilities, has a passion for social justice, and is improving the quality of life in their community.

“Tariah’s commitment to bettering her community and empowering other young leaders along the way exemplifies the late Congressman’s values and mission,” said Secretary of State Bullock. “Young folks are rising to the challenge to make a difference every day. This was evident by the number of outstanding nominations we received for this nominating period. I am proud that my office can recognize changemakers each year for their passion and hard work in making long-lasting impacts.”

The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established in 2021 by the National Association of Secretaries of State to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of the late Congressman John Lewis. His courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service have inspired and will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.

Hyland has been recognized for her instrumental role in legislative change. She actively participated in the passage of House Bill 198, which required the inclusion of Black history and culture in Delaware’s K-12 school curriculum. Collaborating with legislators and other young students during her time at St. Georges Technical High School, Hyland’s efforts helped push the state to take steps towards addressing historical inaccuracies and promoting diversity in education. Championed by State Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker, House Bill 198 was signed into law by Governor John Carney in 2021.

“It’s such an honor to not only be a part of this work but recognized for it as well, especially in the name of such a legend—Congressman John Lewis,” said Tariah Hyland, 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award Recipient. “This is only the beginning of the journey ahead. I’m especially grateful to my village for their countless support for me throughout this journey.”

During her time at St. Georges Technical High School, Hyland co-founded the Delaware Black Student Coalition, which aimed to empower underrepresented voices. Despite initial resistance from her school to start a Black student club, Hyland’s persistence led her to co-create a platform for Black students across Delaware to advocate for change, push back against systemic oppression, and push for a more equitable educational experience. In addition, Hyland has remained committed to empowering youth leaders through her work. As a mentor and teaching assistant for TeenSHARP and co-facilitator of the Proximity Project, Hyland teaches advocacy skills to young students, building a foundation for future leaders to authentically address civil rights issues.

Hyland was nominated for the 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award by Atnre Alleyne, Founder of the Proximity Project, a diversity and inclusion firm that helps organizations build deeper and more authentic connections with marginalized communities.

“Tariah has been making ‘good trouble’ since I first met her in high school. She has helped get a law passed requiring Delaware schools to teach Black history. She helped create a statewide coalition of Black students, co-facilitates diversity trainings, and she rallies her college peers to become engaged voters. She is the perfect young leader to receive the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award and I’m immensely proud of her,” said Atnre Alleyne, Founder of the Proximity Project.

Hyland is a junior at Howard University majoring in political science with a minor in legal communications. She serves as the vice president of the University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the institution’s largest college. She is also the President of the Howard University Chapter of Black Girls Vote, an organization focusing on empowering Black women to participate in the democratic process. Hyland has previously interned with renowned organizations and elected officials, including Results for America, the office of U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, Emerson Collective, TeenSHARP, and the Proximity Project. Her achievements include recognition as an AT&T Rising Future Maker and a Target Scholar.

Nominations for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award are open in the fall of each year.

Eligibility requirements for the Award include:

• The nominee must be a resident of the State of Delaware.
• The nominee must be 25 years or younger by the close of the application submission window.
• The nominee is recognized in their community for being civic-minded and improving the quality of life in their community.
• The nominee has shown a meaningful commitment to address civil rights issues, including but not limited to voting rights, and to authentically bring about positive change in his or her community.

Submissions for nominations for the 2024 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award will open later in the year. To learn more about the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, visit de.gov/johnlewisaward

DOVER – Students from across the state gathered Saturday at the Delaware Public Archives to celebrate the winners of the 17th Annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition and to be recognized for their knowledge of the First State’s influential role in crafting the United States Constitution.

More than 530 students from 19 schools across the state were given two months to prepare informative displays illustrating Delaware’s role in the creation and ratification of the Constitution, integrating creative elements such as artwork, poetry, songs and cartoons. Representatives from the Department of State judged the projects focusing on three main areas: historical accuracy, spelling and creativity.

More than 14,000 students have participated in the annual Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition since the start of the program in 2001. Delaware Day is observed each year on Dec. 7, the date that Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution.

“Every year, Delawareans make special note of the day that our home earned its nickname, The First State,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “And every year I continue to be impressed by the creativity, knowledge and critical thinking on display in the projects that our fourth graders present to demonstrate their understanding of Delaware’s role in the American story.”

Each year, awards are given to schools with the most creative and historically accurate projects.
Named in honor of Delaware’s five signers of the U. S. Constitution, the awards recognize schools in each county plus the city of Wilmington as well as private schools. Projects also are evaluated by the Delaware Division of the Arts, with the most visually outstanding projects receiving an Artistic Merit Award in recognition of students’ creative use of design and composition.

Click here for a photo gallery from this year’s competition.

The winners of the 2018 Delaware Day Fourth Grade Competition are:

• George Read Award: Bunker Hill Elementary School, Appoquinimink School District

• Gunning Bedford Jr. Award: Robert S. Gallaher Elementary, Christina School District

• John Dickinson Award: Lake Forest Central Elementary, Lake Forest School District

• Richard Bassett Award: Laurel Elementary School, Laurel School District

• Jacob Broom Award: TIE – Learning Express Academy, Newark
Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Wilmington

• Artistic Merit Awards: Bunker Hill Elementary School
Laurel Elementary School
Lake Forest Central Elementary School
Robert S. Gallaher Elementary School

• Honorable Mention Awards

New Castle County
All Saints Catholic School
Christ the Teacher Catholic School
William B. Keene Elementary School
May B. Leasure Elementary School
Olive B. Loss Elementary School
Joseph M. McVey Elementary School
Etta J. Wilson Elementary School
UrbanPromise Wilmington
Ursuline Academy

Kent County
Fairview Elementary School
Booker T. Washington Elementary School

Sussex County
Lulu Ross Elementary School
Epworth Christian School

Artistic Merit Honorable Mention
Fairview Elementary School
Lulu Ross Elementary School
UrbanPromise Wilmington

Division of the Arts to Honor 17 Artist Fellows at Annual Reception and Award Ceremony June 13

New this year, the Award Winners Exhibition will display contemporary art alongside historical decorative arts and travel to two new locations

Dover, Del. (June 8, 2018) – The Award Winners XVIII reception and award ceremony will be held at the Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover on Wednesday, June 13 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The event will feature special performances by three of the 2018 Individual Artist Fellows. Attendees can experience the work of all 17 artists in the Award Winners XVIII exhibit throughout the entire museum. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The first part of the reception will feature music selections by Master Fellow in Music, Lloyd Shorter and a presentation by Joan Warburton-Phibbs, Established Fellow in Choreography, followed by the remarks and awards presentation. The second portion will end with a presentation of work by Emerging Fellow in Media Arts, Robert Waters.

Each year, the Biggs Museum of American Art, in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts, exhibits the work of Delaware’s Individual Artist Fellows. The Award Winners XVIII exhibition on view now through July 22, recognizes the Fellows’ combined artistic accomplishments.

“The contemporary pieces from Award Winners will be on view alongside materials and works from 1700-1850,” said Curator Ryan Grover. “The exhibition will be immersive and will show the characteristics that these two timeframes share in common.” Highlights of the exhibition include a site-specific plywood sculpture by Kevin Bielicki and six video installations.

New this year, the Award Winners exhibition will travel to two venues, including CAMP Rehoboth, Rehoboth Beach; and Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington. Each location will host a modified version of the Award Winners exhibition.

• Biggs Museum of American Art: June 1 – July 22
  • Reception on June 13, 2018; 5-7 p.m. RSVP
• CAMP Rehoboth: August 3-26
  • Reception on August 9, 2018; 5:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP
• Cab Calloway School of the Arts: September 7-30
  • Reception on September 7; 5-7 p.m. RSVP

Learn more about the 2018 Artist Fellows

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

DOVER, Del. – The number of prescriptions for opioid medications in Delaware, as well as the total quantity of opioids dispensed, have dropped significantly in the 12 months since the Department of State enacted stricter prescribing regulations to help combat the opioid crisis statewide.

Statistics from the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR), which licenses controlled substance prescribers, show 14 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids were written by Delaware practitioners in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2017. The Division also reports an 18-percent decline in the total quantity of opioids dispensed to patients over the same period.

“The opioid epidemic continues to ravage families across our state and our nation, but numbers like these show that the public policies we have put in place are having a positive impact,” said Gov. John Carney. “Health care practitioners in Delaware are partners in the shared effort to overcome this crisis, and we are seeing the results of changes in prescribing practices that will, without question, save lives across our state.”

The regulations, which took effect April 1, 2017, were designed to help prescribers more closely monitor and control the use of opioids by their patients. Six months after the regulations were implemented, statistics showed a 12-percent drop in opioid prescriptions and an 8-percent drop in the number of Delawareans receiving prescriptions.

“Fewer prescriptions written and fewer pills dispensed mean fewer chances for Delawareans to become addicted to opioids, or for these dangerous drugs to be diverted for illegal use,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The regulations we enacted last year to put limits on opioid prescriptions seem to be working. We hope that in the long term these trends will mean a reduction in opioid addiction and deaths.”

Key elements of the regulations were aimed at controlling the amount of opioids given to new patients and aggressively monitoring their treatment. Except in special circumstances, first-time opioid prescriptions may not exceed a one-week supply under these rules. If further opioid prescriptions are deemed necessary, further action is required, including a physical exam with discussion of relevant patient history and the risks of opioids, and a check of the statewide Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) database.

Data collected through the PMP is being used to track prescribing trends, document the impact of state efforts to address the opioid crisis, and identify practitioners whose prescribing histories send up red flags so that further outreach may be conducted.

“This is very good news. We hoped when we saw the first drop in opioid prescriptions after the new, more stringent regulations went into effect that those numbers would hold. This new report shows that they have not only held but improved,” said Attorney General Matt Denn. “This is further evidence that the Delaware regulations strike a good balance between making opioid drugs available to those who need them, and ensuring that they are prescribed in a responsible way and with appropriate monitoring and follow-up. Secretary Bullock deserves a lot of credit for investing the time to implement these new regulations, which will save lives.”

The regulatory reforms complement efforts organized across state government and in cooperation with Delaware’s community of public health organizations and anti-addiction advocates.

“There is no silver bullet for solving the addiction epidemic, but these new regulations give us one more tool to fight with,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Smarter prescribing practices undoubtedly save lives. As chair of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium, I can promise we will continue to seek out approaches and use every tool we can to fight this epidemic and create stronger, healthier communities.”

The Behavioral Health Consortium, created last year by the General Assembly, is working to develop an action plan to prevent and treat substance use disorder, expand and improve mental health treatment and recovery and provide support for family members of loved ones who are battling addiction or coping with mental health issues.

The state’s Addiction Action Committee, also created by the General Assembly last year, is actively considering two other initiatives related to the prescription of opioid drugs: possible legislation requiring health insurance coverage of alternatives to opioids for pain management, and possible state responses to the co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazapenes.

“The regulations are an important component of the state’s overall plan to address the prescription opioid epidemic, and we are pleased to see the regulations are having the intended effect of reducing the number of prescriptions written,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “DPH and the Safe Prescribing Subcommittee of the Addiction Action Committee continue to partner with DPR to increase awareness among prescribers regarding the regulations, safe prescribing practices and alternatives to pain management.”

The Department of Health and Social Services also has boosted resources to help individuals struggling with addiction. Educational materials about identifying and fighting addiction can be found at HelpIsHereDE.com. Individuals who are suffering from addiction can also call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment options. In New Castle County, call 800-652-2929; in Kent and Sussex counties, call 800-345-6785.

DOVER – Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has suspended the Delaware medical license and controlled substance privileges of Gregory Villabona, in light of allegations of unprofessional conduct related to the prescription and distribution of opioid medications.

In making this determination, Secretary Bullock considered the findings of two parallel complaints filed by the Delaware Department of Justice, which alleged that Mr. Villabona prescribed opioids to patients with little or no required documentation, failed to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, and exchanged guns and weapons with patients.

“The facts presented to me in this case demonstrate an immediate danger to public safety, which is the standard that an emergency suspension of this nature must meet,” said Secretary Bullock.

The order suspending Mr. Villabona’s medical license was signed by the secretary today with the concurrence of the president of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Secretary Bullock also signed a separate order suspending Mr. Villabona’s Delaware controlled substance registration.

Mr. Villabona is a psychiatrist with a practice in Dover and was previously disciplined by state licensing authorities in 2003 for unprofessional conduct arising from sex offenses in Maryland to which Mr. Villabona plead guilty. He was disciplined again in 2007 for violating the terms of a 2005 order, which, in part, prohibited Mr. Villabona from treating minor patients in unsupervised settings. In 2008, Mr. Villabona entered into a consent agreement with the state that placed certain permanent restrictions on his medical license, including limiting his practice to male patients over the age of 18.

Delaware Code Title 24 enables a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State, if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to public health, safety or welfare.

The suspension of Mr. Villabona will remain in effect for a period of 60 days, during which time disciplinary hearings will be held or the final disposition for this individual will take place. As the result of a hearing, the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including revocation of a practitioner’s license or certification.

The licensure status of Mr. Villabona will soon be updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service. Documentation of previous actions against Mr. Villabona’s medical license may also be viewed at this site.