The School Lunch Challenge Panelists
The School Lunch Challenge Panelists
Chef Ann Cooper, Renegade Lunch Lady
Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. A chef for over 30 years, Cooper graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY and has worked with Holland America Cruises, Radisson Hotels, Telluride Ski Resort as well as serving as Executive Chef at the renowned Putney Inn in Vermont. She has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post,The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek , and Time Magazine and has appeared on NPR’s ‘Living on Earth,’ ABC’s Nightline, CNN, PBS’ To The Contrary and the CBS Morning Show and many other media outlets. Ann has shared her knowledge and experience by speaking at the Smithsonian Institute, the National Restaurant Association, the Heifer Foundation, Chefs Collaborative, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and numerous conferences. She has been honored by SLOW Food USA, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. Additionally, she has authored four books and served on numerous boards including the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board, all in an effort to bolster awareness about the values of organic, healthy foods. Most recently, Ann has focused her attention on improving school lunch, working with schools across the country to transition away from processed lunches to healthier, environmentally sound lunches. In 2009, Ann founded the nonprofit Food Family Farming Foundation to address this issue and launched The Lunch Box filled with free tools and information to help schools reform their lunches.
Helge Hellberg, Executive Director, Marin Organic
Helge, Executive Director of Marin Organic since 2004, moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998 after a successful career as a Warner-Brothers-signed musician in German to live a healthier life. He quickly bacame a scholar and champion of organic food production. After working at Wild Oats Markets’ Northern California as a Marketing Manager, Hellberg began working for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) as the Director of Marketing & Communications. He helped to educate people about the value of organic food and the importance of creating an agricultural system employing biologically sound methods. While at CCOF, Hellberg produced, wrote and hosted “Organic Food & Agriculture – Past, Present, Future”, an educational video, and was chosen by CBS as the spokesperson for the “Inside Organic” campaign on KPIX. During this time he also studied holistic nutrition at Baumann College to educate himself on the environmental and health benefits of organic food. Currently working at Marin Organic, he leads the organization in addressing today’s economic, environmental, social, and cultural challenges. To broaden Marin Organic’s audience in 2009 he launched An Organic Conversation, a weekly radio show on Clear Channel affiliate Green 960 to address today’s challenges and solutions, healthy living, and sustainable choices. Regularly speaking at conferences in the U.S. and Canada as well as advising businesses, organizations, and local, state, and national government, Hellberg is a strong voice and authority in the organic food industry.
Jared Huffman, Assemblymember 6th District
Elected to represent the 6th assembly district in November 2006, Jared Huffman as passed over 30 pieces of legislation. Both protecting California’s environment and creating new jobs through efforts to reduce global warming pollution and increase energy independence remain at the top of his agenda. Additionally, he continues to work to improve public education, better our health care system and ensure consumer protection. Before representing the 6th district, Huffman was a Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where, among other accomplishments, he helped further an agreement to restore a 153-mile stretch of the San Joaquin River in California’s Central Valley, one of the largest river restoration projects in United States history. Huffman graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Santa Barbara and cum laude from Boston College Law School.
Anna Kharbas, Manager of Foodservice Sales for Straus Family Creamery
Anna is responsible for developing the Straus brand and driving revenue growth of organic dairy products in the foodservice industry, including restaurants, ice cream shops, schools, institutions, and corporations. All Straus products - milk, cream, butter, ice cream, and more – are 100% organic and are produced with a measurable commitment to environmental stewardship, the humane treatment of dairy cows, and the health and welfare of consumers. Anna’s career in the food industry has been a natural progression as she has been inspired by food and cooking since she was a young girl watching Julia Child and cooking chicken curry with her father. It is this passion that aligns Anna with the needs that all talented chefs and consumers have: superior quality that they can rely upon and trust. Anna places a high value on transparency in the food industry and works hard to integrate this philosophy into every one of her relationships by providing full information and education to her clients.
About Straus Family Creamery
Straus Family Creamery, the nation’s first and only Non-GMO Project Verified dairy brand, strives to consistently provide the highest quality, best tasting, organic milk, yogurt, butter and ice cream made with minimal processing and wholesome ingredients. Straus Family Creamery makes business decisions based upon environmental and ecological considerations, which support the philosophy of sustainable, organic family farming, for the health and well being of the company, its producers, employees and the community at large.
Mark Stefanski, Science Teacher and Thoreau Faculty Chair, Marin Academy
Mark Stefanaski has taught high school science for the past 23 years, and is currently a Biology instructor at Marin Academy in San Rafael where he holds the H.D. Thoreau Faculty Chair, a position that promotes education for sustainability and interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Stefanski is a recipient of the Gustav Ohaus Award from the National Science Teachers Association for innovative teaching strategies in high school science. He is passionate about working with teenagers to assist them in gaining a deeper sense of self, and he facilitates programs, including wilderness programs, that help teens to identify core values, fields of interests, and personal skills. He also consults with the Teens Turning Green: Schools program.
Miguel Villarreal, Food and Nutritional Services Director, Novato Unified School District
B.A. Food and Nutrition, M.B.A. Miguel has thirty years of experience in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program, eight of which he’s spent as the Director of Food and Nutritional Services (FANS) of the Novato Unified School District (NUSD). He has additionally been working as the San Rafael School District part-time Director for their school lunch program His efforts focus on providing students with healthy, fresh, high quality meals within the constrains of his budget. This requires creativity, determination and advocacy due to the financial limitations and infrastructural constraints his department faces daily. Miguel collaborates and serves on numerous committees at the local and state level to advocate for additional funding, healthier food, facility improvements, and educating the community at large on the importance of welless.
Lynn Woolsey, Congressmember 6th District
In her ninth term a 6th district Representative, Congresswoman Woosley is active on issues dealing with children and family as well as was an outspoken opponent of the Iraq war. Woosley also works to oversee policies that affect millions of American workers as well as reform to improve the No Child Left Behind Act. An advocate of special education and vocational education programs, Woosely has fought against job discrimination and she authored a School Breakfast Pilot Program that President Clinton signed into law. As a Senior Member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, Woosely has worked to decrease American dependence on foreign oil and increase the use of clean, efficient energy. In a recent energy bill, she played an essential role in securing $2 billion in renewable energy research, development, demonstration and commercial application.