Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Cooper has been a chef for more than 30 years—over 15 of those in school food programs. She currently serves as the director of nutrition services for the Boulder Valley (CO) School District. Known as the Renegade Lunch Lady, Cooper has been honored by The National Resources Defense Council, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. In 2009, Cooper founded the nonprofit Chef Ann Foundation to focus on solutions to the school food crisis. CAF's pivotal project is The Lunch Box, a web portal that provides free and accessible tools, recipes, and community connections to support school food reform.
