Bertrand Weber is director of culinary and wellness services for Minneapolis Public Schools in Minnesota. Bertrand’s career spans more than 35 years of combined management experience in the hospitality industry and school food service. Trained in hotel management in Switzerland, Bertrand has managed some of the finest hotels and resorts on the east coast. His compassion for the well-being and future of our children and our environment led Bertrand to the Hopkins School District in Minnesota in 2003. Bertrand‘s progressive thinking at Hopkins received national recognition and became the focus of several University of Minnesota research papers, including “Analyzing Health Innovations in a School Lunch Program,” and “The Power of Three: A Whole Grain Intervention.” In 2004, he initiated one of Minnesota’s first farm to school programs which led to another research paper in 2005, “Making the Farm to School Connection.” From 2006 until 2011, Bertrand worked for Taher, Inc. as director of wellness, nutrition and culinary standards and was responsible for the implementation of the Food for Life initiative. As director for Minneapolis Public Schools’ Culinary and Wellness Services since January 2012, Bertrand wasted no time rethinking MPS’s school lunch program. Salad bars have been introduced in 63 schools, all 7 high schools, and 5 junior high schools; and 24 elementary schools have returned to scratch cooking with 5 more scheduled for the 2017-2018 school year. MPS is on the leading edge of the farm to school movement and introduced “MN Thursday” during the 14-15 school year. Bertrand is currently the vice-chair of the National Farm to School Network Advisory Board, the Lead District of School Food Focus Upper Midwest Regional Learning Lab, and chair of the School Nutrition Association’s Major City Committee. (Minneapolis, MN)