The Phillip Sehmann Excellence in Teaching Award was established by NEIBA in 1992. This award serves to recognize directors using the following criteria: 1) for their years of service in teaching, 2) for their service to NEIBA or IBA, and 3) for consistently providing quality education to their students and producing a quality band program at the level being honored.
Elementary Recipients
1992-1993 Virjean Knudsen (Nashua)
1993-1994 Darrell Dicken (Linn-Mar)
1994-1995 Norm Meyer (Independence)
1995-1996 Linda Ballou (Monticello)
1996-1997 Diana Blake (Waverly-Shell Rock)
1997-1998 Jaci Ratcliff (Oelwein)
1998-1999 Carolyn Bollman (Waverly-Shell Rock)
1999-2000 Bard Mackey (Waverly-Shell Rock)
2000-2001 Susan Kuenzel (MFL-MarMac)
2001-2002 Lisa Lang (Independence)
2002-2003 Carla Burchers (Tripoli)
2003-2004 Polly Ann Jones (Howard-Winneshiek)
2004-2005 Elizabeth Fritz (Decorah)
2005-2006 Cathy Evelsizer (Decorah)
2006-2007 Kevin Makinster (Linn-Mar)
2007-2008 Kathy Ruhser (Eldaker)
2008-2009 Greg Marolf (Western Dubuque)
2009-2010 Tracy McGregor (Nashua-Plainfield)
2010-2011 Stephanie Nuss (Linn-Mar)
2011-2012 Wendy Morton (College Community)
2012-2013 Erin Lins (Oelwein)
2013-2014 Steve Mark (Cedar Falls)
2014-2015 Kim Specht (Vernon, Cedar Rapids)
2015-2016 Mike Michalicek (St Patrick's-Cedar Falls)
2016-2017 Ann Byersdorfer (Cedar Falls)
2017-2018 Valerie Shanley (Franklin, Cedar Rapids)
2018-2019 Myron Mikita (Don Bosco)
2019-2020 Mary Bunn (Wilson MS, Cedar Rapids)
2020-2021 Amy Kraeplin (Linn-Mar)
2021-2022 Nicole Davis (Cedar Falls)
2022-2023 David Anderson (Linn-Mar)
2023-2024 Jennifer Adams (Marion)
2024-2025 Mabel Rempe (Waterloo)
JH/MS Recipients
1992-1993 Larry Joiner (Cresco)
1993-1994 Rich Stanaway (Anamosa)
1994-1995 Bob Meyer (Starmont)
1995-1996 Bob Sadilek (CR McKinley)
1996-1997 Jay Kahn (Maquoketa)
1997-1998 Linda Johanssen (North Fayette)
1998-1999 Randy Atkinson (Lin-Mar)
1999-2000 Marilyn Fee (Clinton)
2000-2001 Robert Manson (CR Taft)
2001-2002 Diane Yeager (Independence)
2002-2003 Jack Martinez (Clinton)
2003-2004 Dwayne Johnson (Cedar Falls)
2004-2005 Dan Norman (Monticello)
2005-2006 Denise Graettinger (Waverly-Shell Rock)
2006-2007 Kristen Beatty (CR Roosevelt)
2007-2008 Karen Suddendorf (Turkey Valley)
2008-2009 Paula Welter (Western Dubuque)
2009-2010 Rich Scheffel (West Central)
2010-2011 Steve King (Linn-Mar)
2011-2012 no nominee
2012-2013 Michael Davies (Prairie Point MS)
2013-2014 Laurie Routt (Union)
2014-2015 Shawn Sandersfeld (Excelsior MS, Linn-Mar)
2015-2016 Steve Citta (Waterloo)
2016-2017 Jill Dobel (Monticello)
2017-2018 Brett Dupree (Oak Ridge)
2018-2019 Dorothy Jacobi (Center Point-Urbana)
2019-2020 Ken Henze (Waterloo)
2020-2021 Ben Byersdorfer (Cedar Falls)
2021-2022 Beth Davies (Regis MS, Cedar Rapids)
2022-2023 Laura Engelhardt (Cedar Falls)
2023-2024 Jeff Schafer (CR Prairie)
2024-2025 Michelle Waymire (Marion)
High School Recipients
1992-1993 Tom Chandler (Elkader)
1993-1994 Bob Roussell (Monticello)
1994-1995 August Knoll (Calamus-Wheatland)
1995-1996 Peg Thein (Garnavillo)
1996-1997 Bob Huinker (Turkey Valley)
1997-1998 George Curtis (Denver)
1998-1999 Doug McFarlane (Oelwein)
1999-2000 Greg James (North Fayette)
2000-2001 Dr. Leonard Upham (Price Lab/UNI)
2001-2002 Jim Fritz (Decorah)
2002-2003 Lane Powell (Cresco)
2003-2004 Craig Aune (College Community)
2004-2005 Brad Jensen (Hudson)
2005-2006 Roger DeYoung (Lisbon)
2006-2007 Kent Crawford (Maquoketa)
2007-2008 Jim Miller (CR Washington)
2008-2009 David Lang (Independence)
2009-2010 Andy Houk (CR Jefferson)
2010-2011 Thad Driskell (CR Jefferson)
2011-2012 Steve Stickney (Linn-Mar)
2012-2013 Gerald Ramsey (Cedar Falls)
2013-2014 Aaron Nuss (Linn-Mar)
2014-2015 Chad Allard (Marion)
2015-2016 Kyle Engelhardt (Cedar Falls)
2016-2017 Lesley Fleer (Kennedy HS, Cedar Rapids)
2017-2018 Jason Dobbs (Crestwood)
2018-2019 Scott Stroud (Nashua-Plainfield)
2019-2020 Jim Vowels (Waverly-Shellrock)
2020-2021 Jo Ann Sherman (Allamakee)
2021-2022 Kelli Swehla (Prairie HS, Cedar Rapids)
2022-2023 Dan Terrell (Linn-Mar)
2023-2024 Joelle Smith (Waterloo East)
2024-2025 Ted Schacherer (North Fayette)