FROM THE GOVERNOR

Abbott announces inaugural Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism awards AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott and the 1836 Project Advisory Committee announced the launch of the Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards, an annual recognition program honoring Texas educators and advocates whose work demonstrates significant achievements to promote the history and patriotism of Texas.

“We must always remember the men and women who bravely defended our state and country,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans who educate future generations understand the principles and values our soldiers courageously defended. These new Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards will recognize the important work done by Texans who preserve and promote the history and patriotic knowledge of our great state.”

“There is a lot of great work going on across our state, and so much of it goes unrecognized,” said Texas 1836 Project Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Don Frazier. “Community members and hardworking teachers are pouring their lives into the story of our state, and these awards represent our small part in recognizing them fo “The Governor’s 1836 Project Advisory Committee is particularly proud to honor our teachers and educators who are promoting patriotic education and historical awareness across Texas,” said 1836 Project Advisory Committee member Dr. Caroline Crimm. “Our teachers deserve to receive all the thanks and appreciation that we can bestow.”

The Gubernatorial Historic Promotion and Patriotism Awards highlight those who are actively advancing that mission through education, storytelling, and community engagement.

Gubernatorial Award categories include:

• Individual Excellence: Honoring long-term contributions by educators and advocates of Texas history and patriotism.

• Project Innovation: Recognizing recent initiatives that creatively interpret, preserve, or promote Texas’s historic and prehistoric resources.

Nominations are open now through January 31, 2026. Recipients will be selected by the 1836 Project Advisory Committee, which includes historians, educators, and preservation experts from across the state. The awards are presented through the patronage of the 1836 Project Advisory Committee and are designed to recognize meaningful contributions to historic promotion through increased public awareness, appreciation, and support. Presented annually in Austin, the awards include formal recognition and a monetary prize.

In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law House Bill 2497, which established the 1836 Project as an advisory committee to promote patriotic education and historical awareness across Texas and is dedicated to ensuring that Texans of all ages understand the values and events that shaped our state.

For nomination guidelines and more information, visit tea.texas.gov /1836project.

Abbott appoints three to Dental Review Committee AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott appointed Lois Palermo and reappointed Danielle Franklin, D.D.S. and Raymond L. Wiggins, D.D.S., M.D. to the Dental Review Committee for terms set to expire on February 1, 2031. The Committee serves on informal settlement conference panels to determine whether an informal disposition of a contested case against a license holder is appropriate, and to make recommendations for the disposition of the complaint or allegation.

Lois Palermo of League City is a dental hygienist at Drs. Castille and Castille. She is a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the Bay Area Dental Hygienists’ Association. Additionally, she is a board member of the Potter’s Smile. Palermo received an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Del Mar College and a Bachelor of Science in Technology, Occupational Technology, and Industrial Studies from the University of Houston.

Danielle Franklin, D. D. S. of Dallas is a dentist and owner of Sunflower Dental. She is past president of the Oak Cliff Dental Study Club and a board member of the Duncanville Community Theatre and Duncanville ISD Education Foundation. She previously served as a chairperson for the Duncanville Chamber of Commerce. Franklin received a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University (TAMU) and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from TAMU College of Dentistry (formerly the Baylor College of Dentistry).

Raymond L. Wiggins, D.D.S., M.D. of Katy is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and President of Texas Oral and Facial Surgery, P.A. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and a fellow in anesthesiology of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology. Additionally, he is a member of the American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association and past board member of the Texas Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Wiggins received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Southern Methodist University, a Doctor of Dental Surgery from TAMU College of Dentistry, a Doctor of Medicine from the McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center at Houston, and a Certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from the UT Houston Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He also received a Master of Divinity from Regent University.