Educational Excellence Awards

Educational Excellence Awards

Since 2023, the Gretna Public Schools Foundation has proudly recognized outstanding educators, support staff, and administrators through the Educational Excellence Awards. Recipients are nominated by colleagues, students, and families from across the district and selected by a committee of their peers.

Thanks to the generous support of MCL Construction, these awards celebrate individuals who make exceptional contributions to Gretna students, schools, and the broader community. Their dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence help shape the educational experience and positively impact the lives of those they serve.

A huge congratulations to all of our winners of this year's Education Excellence Awards. On Monday, May 4, we were able to join MCL Construction to surprise all of our winners, who were nominated by fellow teachers, administrators, and even parents.

This year's winners are:

Para Support Staff of the Year: Lynn Snoza, Aspen Creek Middle School 
District-Wide Support Staff of the Year: Trina Waller, Gretna Public Schools
In-Building Support Staff of the Year: Sheryl Emanuel, Harvest Hills Elementary School
Rookie Educator of the Year: Zoe Chagnon, Gretna High School
Special Education Educator of the Year: Karen (Wille) Johnson, Gretna & Whitetail Creek Elementary Schools
Educator of the Year (PreK-5): Cole Kohout, Thomas Elementary School 
Educator of the Year (6-8): Julia Krebs, Aspen Creek Middle School 
Specials Educator of the Year: Erica Walsh, GPS Middle Schools
Educator of the Year (9-12): Lauren Michal, Gretna East High School 
Administrator of the Year: Jake Runyon, Cedar Hollow Elementary School

2026 Annual Educational Excellence Award Recipients

We had the privilege of honoring our 2026 Educational Excellence Award recipients with a dedicated awards ceremony this year. We are grateful to the families, friends, and colleagues who joined us in celebrating these outstanding individuals. It was a meaningful way to mark the conclusion of an exceptional 2025-2026 academic year at Gretna Public Schools.