News Release - Adams 12 teacher named Colorado 2020 Teacher of the Year

Oct. 23, 2019

Adams 12 teacher named Colorado 2020 Teacher of the Year

Hilary Wimmer teaches business at Mountain Range High School

WESTMINSTER - Hilary Wimmer, a business teacher at Mountain Range High School in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, was named Colorado’s 2020 Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony at the high school today.

“‘I’m honored to present this award to Hilary Wimmer, who inspires a culture of learning in her students that lasts long after graduation,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes. “Mrs. Wimmer is a bridge builder, a connector and a perfect representative of the kind of passionate and dedicated teachers who work tirelessly every day in Colorado. Mrs. Wimmer has helped students become financially literate, upstanding civic leaders and successful in their life’s decisions. We are all fortunate to have her as a teacher in our state.”

As Teacher of the Year, Wimmer will represent the entire profession in Colorado and be the public face of Colorado’s teachers. She will be entered as Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program competition and will receive many professional development opportunities. Wimmer along with the country’s other teachers of the year will be honored at a special ceremony at the White House. Over the summer, Wimmer will get the opportunity to go to NASA’s Space Camp for a week. She will also become a member of the Colorado Education Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Hilary has been named the Colorado teacher of the year and could not think of a more deserving educator,” said Adams 12 Superintendent Chris Gdowski. “Whether it’s caring for students by helping them overcome obstacles or collaborating with business partners to provide unprecedented learning opportunities for students, Mrs. Wimmer exemplifies our district strengths and is a model teacher for our district and state. This recognition demonstrates the work that Hilary and all of the teachers in our district do to elevate student success in every classroom, every day."

Wimmer began teaching business in 2004 and was part of the inaugural staff at Mountain Range High School in Westminster in 2006. She leads the largest DECA program in Colorado, and in 2016 she was recognized as the Colorado DECA Advisor of the Year. Wimmer serves as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department chair and business program coordinator for Mountain Range High School and as the CTE content coordinator for the district.

She received her undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Colorado and a master's degree in educational counseling from the University of Phoenix. She also received certification in CTE from Colorado State University and a specialist degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.

Wimmer heads Adams 12’s district-wide CTE professional learning teams in curriculum development and was named by the national Next Gen Personal Finance Organization to be one of the Next Gen Change Makers with the goal of ensuring all students leave high school financially literate. In May, she was named Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ Certified Employee of the Year and was also named the Colorado Junior Achievement Educator of the year in 2019.

The Colorado Teacher of the Year program's award partners include Denver 7, Colorado Education Association, Colorado Free Masons, Adams State University, University of Northern Colorado and Blue Bell Ice Cream. 

For more on the Colorado Teacher of the Year, visit the program webpage.