Former HSE High School Principal Janie Ulmer makes move to IHSAA
By RICHIE HALL
Janie Ulmer has understood the importance of education-based athletics ever since she was a basketball player for La Porte High School.
Ulmer would go on to spend over two decades in teaching and administrative roles in La Porte Community Schools before coming down to Hamilton Southeastern Schools. She was the principal at HSE High School for the past two years.
On July 1, Ulmer began her tenure as an assistant commissioner for the IHSAA. Ulmer took over for Sandra Walter, who left to accept a position as athletic director at Franklin Central. Ulmer has been in her new role at the IHSAA for a little over two weeks now, learning about the role the IHSAA plays in its support for student-athletes.
“Lucky for me, the staff members at the IHSAA are knowledgeable, professional, and patient so I have been learning about the many resources available for schools, athletic directors, officials, and coaches as well as the many supports for our student athletes,” said Ulmer. “Now that we are heading into the second part of July, my goal is travel around the state to meet and support our member schools.”
Ulmer played varsity basketball for the Slicers and later served as an assistant coach for the team, in addition to holding a supporting role with La Porte’s baseball team, a program that has won eight state championships.
“As a former student athlete, administrator, and mom, I have seen the impact that education-based athletics can have on kids, and I have also seen firsthand the positive culture that exists in schools that have a high rate of student participation in extra-curriculars,” said Ulmer. “When I became aware that there was a position available at the IHSAA, I was intrigued with being able to work with schools to encourage student athlete participation and support that positive culture across the state. So, I took a chance and applied. I think my role as a principal has provided me with a unique perspective on how to support schools and communities and I am looking forward to the opportunity.”
Ulmer graduated from Valparaiso University in 1989 and spent 19 years teaching mathematics at Kesling Middle School in La Porte before becoming Director of Virtual Learning, an alternative high school within LPHS, from 2012 to 2017.
“As an educator and administrator, I have always viewed my role as one that provides information, resources, and support so that students and colleagues can be successful,” said Ulmer. “I consider my role with the IHSAA to be the same. In this position, I hope to be a resource for coaches, athletic directors, officials, and the overall sports community so that we can provide a positive high school athletics experience for student athletes which is why we are all here – for the kids.”
Once at HSE Schools, Ulmer was the Director of the Hamilton Southeastern Fishers Academy, an off-site alternative education program she helped launch for Southeastern and Fishers high schools. She was the Director of HSEF for three years before accepting the Southeastern principal job in 2020.
“I am so grateful for the five years that I have the opportunity to serve Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Fishers community. When hired in 2017 to create an alternative high school, I was challenged to create a learning environment that would meet the needs of students with unique challenges. Our district and building leaders were supportive of the interventions needed and it was so exciting to create options for students! Each and every day we were able to provide resources and supports to help students achieve in school and also in life.
“In 2020, I was hired to be the Principal of Hamilton Southeastern High School which happened to be at the beginning of the pandemic. It was a very challenging time to be the leader of a building of approximately 170 teachers, 100 support staff, and 3,500 students – especially when we began the year with students at home and learning virtually. As I worked with our faculty and staff to manage that year of virtual and hybrid instruction, I realized what I had seen since 2017 – HSE High School and HSE Schools are truly committed to student achievement. Our teachers are passionate about student learning and thus, are willing to do whatever it takes to help a student be successful. They needed and deserved a leader who was willing to show up and do whatever she could to support them and that was my goal.”
Each IHSAA sport has an assistant commissioner that serves as a contact. At this time, Ulmer said she will be the contact person for soccer, “which is really exciting,” she said.
But you can expect Ulmer to be at other sporting events as well. She attended the IHSAA boys golf state finals, and had good reason to do so: The Royals finished third in the state. Ulmer was with the team as the players received their state medals.
“As I reflect on my time with HSE, I am grateful for the leaders, colleagues, and members of the school community who partnered with me, challenged me, and helped me to grow,” said Ulmer. “However, I am most grateful for all of the students that I had the honor to meet and support. Their tenacity, joy, curiosity, and grit astonished me every single day.”