LINCOLN — Retired Nebraska lobbyist Herb Schimek is being remembered around the Capitol as someone who cared deeply about teachers, whom he represented over more than three decades.

Schimek, the long-time lobbyist for the Nebraska State Education Association and husband of former State Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln, died Feb. 25. He was 86.

Teacher At Heart

A former history teacher, he worked as the chief lobbyist for the NSEA — the state teachers’ union — from 1975 to 2009. He then was hired by the Omaha Westside school district, which he represented until fully retiring in 2015.

A bear of a man, former colleagues said he was a dogged advocate for providing adequate pay and benefits for teachers.

“Every single benefit that teachers have — they may or may not know why they have it — was largely due to Herb Schimek,” said Brian Mikkelsen, NSEA’s political director who considered Schimek a mentor.

Schimek was born in the central Nebraska village of Elba. He earned bachelors and masters degrees at what was then Kearney State College.

It was there that he met his future wife, whom he dated briefly before his expected college graduation in the spring of 1962. But he found out he was one credit short of graduating, and Schimek had to remain in Kearney over the summer to take a swimming class, his wife said.

That allowed the romance to continue, one that led to marriage in 1963 while both were teaching in Lyman, Colorado.

One Rule

The Schimeks, who are both Democrats, had a strict rule: While DiAnna served in the Legislature (from 1988 to 2008) Herb would not lobby her, and she would not sponsor education bills or serve on the Legislature’s Education Committee.

Instead, Sen. DiAnna Schimek focused on other issues, including sponsoring the bill that created the state’s unique system of awarding electoral votes, which led to the possibility of Democrats winning the “blue dot” in the Omaha area.

Former State Sen. Bob Wickersham, who headed the Legislature’s Retirement Systems Committee, said he worked out many problems with the state’s defined benefit pension plans with Schimek. The agreements that were made on the teachers’ plan, Wickersham said, served as a template for solidifying retirement plans for state troopers and state judges.

“Once something had been agreed to be done, Herb kept his word,” Wickersham said. “I didn’t have to worry about quibbles down the road.”

Experience Helped

Lobbyist Bill Mueller, who represented school districts, said he often worked issues alongside Schimek, who used his experience as a teacher to educate legislators.

“He was a giant of a man who spoke softly, but when he did, people listened,” Mueller said.

Karen Kilgarin, the long-time spokeswoman for the NSEA and a former state senator, said Schimek was the first person she talked to when she decided, at age 22, to run for the Legislature.

“He used to call me ‘Red,’“ said Kilgarin, who has red hair. “He kind of had a gruff, little rough exterior, but he had the softest, kindest heart.”

Schimek served as president of the boards of Nebraska Public Radio, the Nebraska Educational Television Network and the National Association of Political Directors in Education. In 1990, Kearney State, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney, honored him with its Distinguished Service Award.

Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Samuel and Saul, Sam’s wife Suzanne Grachek, two brothers, Al and Bob, and several nieces and nephews. A celebration of life is being planned early this summer.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/03/08/lobbyist-remembered-for-caring-d...