Hemmett earns statewide honor for school counseling leadership

December 11, 2025

The Nebraska School Counselor Association (NSCA) named LPS School Counseling Supervisor Lori Hemmett as the 2025 Administrator of the Year in November. It’s an honor she shares with the 137 school counselors serving LPS.

“This recognition means a lot because the nomination comes from the group I feel are my peers and who I aim to serve and advocate for every day,” Hemmett said. 

Hemmett’s path at LPS began in 2002 as a Spanish teacher at Southwest High School, where she was part of the original staff. After nine years, she moved to North Star High School to start her school counseling career. In 2016, she became the leader of East High School’s counseling team. She’s been in her current position as school counseling supervisor for three years.

“I was drawn to education because I knew I loved to work and help people, and what I discovered throughout my career is that my ability to foster and cultivate relationships was my biggest strength,” Hemmett said. “Leaning on this, I was drawn more and more to helping the adults I worked with have strong systems and support so they could best serve students, and that is what drew me to become an administrator.”

Hemmett said she started with a simple vision that outlined the role of the school counselor and the need for articulated goals and a K-12 school counseling curriculum.

“School counselors are involved in all facets of school, ensuring that all students have access to an adult that can help them with personal needs, academic support and career exploration, so I serve on several committees and other groups in order to bring the school counseling perspective to light when decisions are being made about programming, systems and student supports for all our students in LPS,” Hemmett said. 

Within her tenure as the school district’s counseling supervisor, LPS has added 24  school counseling positions. The school district added 16 counseling staff at the elementary level, two at middle school and six at high school.

Currently, the counseling team is building its school counseling core curricula with lessons based in four quarterly themes. These are designed to support the LPS mission of preparing all students for successful careers, lifelong learning and civic engagement. LPS also initiated an elementary summer school counseling program, featuring lessons designed to reinforce prosocial and career readiness skills for all elementary summer school students in grades K-5.  

“All of these initiatives exist because the hard-working school counselors in LPS demonstrate the importance of great school counseling, and that when we all work together with the same focus, we can make a difference and create outcomes for student learning and success,” Hemmett said.

During the NSCA awards luncheon, six LPS counselors were among the 12 finalists for Nebraska School Counselor of the Year. Ann Spotanski, the school counselor at Clinton Elementary School, received the NSCA Elementary School Counselor of the Year Award. Spotanski said Hemmett has been a role model for everyone at LPS with her award-winning leadership.

“I believe that leaders grow leaders,” Spotanski said. “That is what Lori has done for school counselors in LPS. Also, why I believe so many LPS counselors were recognized. She guides us to be our best and sets every one of us up for success within our own building.”

Want to learn more about school counseling at Lincoln Public Schools? Visit our website at home.lps.org/counseling to get more information. 

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