Founder of Food Family Farming Foundation
San Francisco Bay Area
- Current
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- Consultant at Boulder Valley School District
- Founder/Partner at Lunch Lessons LLC
- Founder at Food Family Farming Foundation
- Founder at Lunch Lessons LLC
- Director of Nutrition Services at BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
- Past
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- Dir of Nutrition Services at BUSD
- Consultant at FoodChange
- Fellow at The Kellogg Foundation
- Chef/Consultant/Educator at CHEFS CULINARY CONSULTING
- Executive Chef at Ross School
- Executive Chef at Ross School
- Executive Chef/Food & Beverage Director at THE TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL
- Executive Chef at THE PUTNEY INN
- Education
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- Culinary Institute of America
- Recommended
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1 person has recommended Ann - Connections
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361
connections
- Industry
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- Websites
Ann Cooper’s Summary
Food Family Farming Foundation will work toward changing the food system in America from a chemically dependent/resource depleting agricultural model to an ecologically sound sustainable one. The foundation will work with schools, families, farms and producers to educate around sustainable food and farming values as well as work with schools to serve delicious whole food to all children. The foundation will educate and do outreach through training programs, direct services, a web portal and collateral resources.
Ann Cooper, CEC, is the Director of Nutrition Services for the Berkeley Unified School District and is the former Executive Chef and Director of Wellness and Nutrition of The Ross School in East Hampton, New York. Ann is also the founder of Lunch Lessons LLC a consulting company and F3: Food Family and Farming Foundation, both organizations dedicated to improving the health of America’s children.
Ann is the author of the recently released book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, as well as In Mother’s Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes, Harvest: A Chef’s Perspective on the Hidden Dangers in the Foods We Eat and What You Can do About I and A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen: The Evolution of Women Chefs. Chef Cooper, former Executive Chef of the Putney Inn in Vermont, is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and was one of the first fifty women to be certified as an Executive Chef by the educational arm of the American Culinary Federation.
Ann Cooper’s Specialties:
Chef - School Food Advocate & Consultant
Ann Cooper’s Experience
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Consultant
Boulder Valley School District
(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
January 2009 — Present (11 months)
Helping to transition the district's school food to a nutritious/delicious model
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Founder/Partner
Lunch Lessons LLC
(Food & Beverages industry)
May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Working toward nutritious/delcious food in schools for all children
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Founder
Food Family Farming Foundation
(Food & Beverages industry)
May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Food Family Farming Foundation will work toward changing the food system in America from a chemically dependent/resource depleting agricultural model to an ecologically sound sustainable one. The foundation will work with schools, families, farms and producers to educate around sustainable food and farming values as well as work with schools to serve delicious whole food to all children. The foundation will educate and do outreach through training programs, direct services, a web portal and collateral resources.
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Founder
Lunch Lessons LLC
(Food & Beverages industry)
May 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
Lunch Lessons LLC and F3 were both founded as vehicles to help change children's relationship to food and promote healthier food and eating for all of America's children. Lunch Lessons LLC is working with schools, school districts, government and parent organizations to improve food and education for children. F3 is collaborating with other foundations to build a virtual "Lunch Box" that will contain the tools that are needed to make positive change in school meals across the country
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Director of Nutrition Services
BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
(Food & Beverages industry)
October 2005 — Present (4 years 2 months)
When I took over as Director, I found a department serving the worst imaginable food. In the since then we have made tremendous progress in implementing positive change in our children's relationship with food. I oversee 90 employees in 17 locations, who are responsible for feeding and educating our district's 9,600 children. Our approach is characterized as a three-legged stool. We serve nutritious and delicious food in the cafeterias, offer hands-on experiential learning in cooking and gardening classes and teach the LIFE curriculum in our 4th and 5th grade science classrooms. During my tenure we have segued from 95% processed foods to 95% scratch cooking; we serve only hormone and antibiotic free dairy, we have salad bars in every school, we serve only whole-grain bread products, fresh fruits and vegetables at every lunch and have moved our procurement system toward local-sustainable foods.
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Dir of Nutrition Services
BUSD
(Food & Beverages industry)
October 2005 — June 2009 (3 years 9 months)
When I took over as Director, I found a department serving the worst imaginable food. In the since then we have made tremendous progress in implementing positive change in our children’s relationship with food. I oversee 90 employees in 17 locations, who are responsible for feeding and educating our district’s 9,600 children. Our approach is characterized as a three-legged stool. We serve nutritious and delicious food in the cafeterias, offer hands-on experiential learning in cooking and gardening classes and teach the LIFE curriculum in our 4th and 5th grade science classrooms. During my tenure we have segued from 95% processed foods to 95% scratch cooking; we serve only hormone and antibiotic free dairy, we have salad bars in every school, we serve only whole-grain bread products, fresh fruits and vegetables at every lunch and have moved our procurement system toward local-sustainable foods.
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Consultant
FoodChange
(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Program Development industry)
July 2004 — October 2005 (1 year 4 months)
Two Kellogg Foundation funded projects, School Food Plus and SOUL Food have been the basis of my work for FoodChange. My expertise has had a positive impact on the implementation of procuring, serving and eating fresh regional produce in Harlem's underserved community and in New York City schools, both public and charter.
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Fellow
The Kellogg Foundation
(Food & Beverages industry)
July 2004 — October 2005 (1 year 4 months)
I was awarded a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellowship which enabled me to do advocacy work in support of raising the quality of school lunch in America. Traveling the country, I have been speaking out about Changing the Way America Feeds its Children, as well as writing articles, being used as an expert in articles and presenting seminars for many diverse audiences.
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Chef/Consultant/Educator
CHEFS CULINARY CONSULTING
(Food & Beverages industry)
July 2004 — October 2005 (1 year 4 months)
Since leaving the Ross School I have been pursuing three career tracks which are all symbiotically aligned:
The Chez Panisse Foundation, Berkeley CA
Working as a consultant to the foundation and in collaboration with the Center for Ecoliteracy, I have been supporting and promoting positive change within the foodservice of the Berkeley Unified School District. My expertise in nutrition, school lunch, foodservice, management practices and delicious food have been the basis for fomenting positive change within the district's foodservice as well as supporting the completion and implementation of the Dining Commons. -
Executive Chef
Ross School
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Education Management industry)
1999 — 2004 (5 years )
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Executive Chef
Ross School
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Education Management industry)
October 1999 — June 2004 (4 years 9 months)
My vision for the school was exemplified by our mission: Life-long health and well-being are the hallmark tenants of our mission. Regional, Organic, Seasonal, Sustainable food is our mantra, which leads us to create healthy, nutritious, wholesome and flavorful food from the best ingredients possible. We then share these foods, nutrition education and the importance of balance to positively influence the choices made by our students, faculty and staff and the extended community of which we are all part. My responsibilities included: integrating agriculture, food, nutrition, food history and culture into the curriculum. We worked with and supported over 50 regional farmers and producers, and additionally we educated our staff, students and faculty about sustainable cuisine and hosted workshops and classes for the larger community in an effort to share our beliefs.
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Executive Chef/Food & Beverage Director
THE TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL
(Food & Beverages industry)
April 1993 — October 1999 (6 years 7 months)
This is a once a year catering event. We fed 20,000 people at nine events, in seven locations (some of which are 10,000 feet up in the mountains), in five days, with an untrained staff and without a kitchen. I was responsible for all menu and recipe development, ordering, issuing, transporting, hiring, training, budgeting, organizing and preparing for all food and beverage functions. This event included coordination of rental equipment, rented "Semi-Kitchens", refrigerated trucks and store trailers. During the last five years, we worked with local farmers and producers, which enabled menus derived almost exclusively from the region.
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Executive Chef
THE PUTNEY INN
(Food & Beverages industry)
July 1990 — September 1999 (9 years 3 months)
I was responsible for all food operations at this facility, which included a 200 seat dining room with banquet seating for an additional 200. Areas of accountability included: quality, creativity and consistency of product, profitability, food cost, labor cost, menu planning, staffing, team building, computer and POS systems, as well as planning and design for facility expansion. With food sales in excess of a million and a half dollars financial management including cost of sales and inventory and payroll costs were major challenges. The Inn's reputation for serving regional sustainable cuisine is renowned and as a founding member of the Fresh Network we promoted the chef/farmer connection for over a decade.
Ann Cooper’s Education
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Culinary Institute of America
AOS , Culinary , 1977 — 1979
Additional Information
Ann Cooper’s Websites:
Ann Cooper’s Interests:
Sustainable Food, Kids eating great food
Ann Cooper’s Groups:
Women Chefs and Restauranteurs
Chefs Collaborative
international Association of Culinary Professionals
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Foodies -
Slow Food -
CIA Alumni -
Society for Participatory Medicine -
#sustagchat
Ann Cooper’s Honors:
Women Doing Good 2008
Kiwi Award of Excellence, 2008
Chef and the Child, Michael Ty Award, 2008
Golden Carrot Award, 2007
Slow Food USA, Fertile Ground Award 2005
Suny Cobleskill, Honorary Doctorate, awarded 2004
Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Fellow: 2003
New York State Farm to School Award Winner, 2003
Research Chef’s Association: Technology and Communication Award, 1999
Ann Cooper’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- job inquiries
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
