Ann Cooper ‘79

Founder, Chef Ann Foundation; Boulder, CO

Ann Cooper ’79 is founder of Chef Ann Foundation. Ann is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. In a nation where children are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents because of diet-related illness, Ann is a relentless voice of reform by focusing on the links between school food and children’s health and wellness. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY, Ann has been a chef for more than 35 years, including positions with Holland America Cruises, Radisson Hotels, and Telluride Ski Resort before serving as executive chef at the Putney Inn in Vermont. She also served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board, a Congressional appointment, and was an Executive Committee member of Chefs Collaborative - all in an effort to raise awareness about the value of healthful, seasonal, organic, and regional foods. The Chef Ann Foundation was founded in 2009, and to-date the foundation has reached over 2 million children across the country and seeks to provide tools that help schools serve children healthy and delicious scratch-cooked meals made with fresh, whole food. (Boulder, CO) @chefannc