Bertrand Weber, Senior Consultant
Swiss-born Bertrand Weber’s career spans over four decades, bridging the worlds of hospitality and public school foodservice. Trained in hotel management in Switzerland, he began his professional journey managing premier hotels and resorts along the East Coast before shifting his focus to a mission-driven career in education and child nutrition.
In 2003, Bertrand joined the Hopkins School District in Minnesota, where his innovative approach to foodservice earned national recognition and became the focus of several University of Minnesota research papers.
He launched one of Minnesota’s first Farm to School programs in 2004 — work that helped shape the statewide movement to connect schools with local farmers and fresh, seasonal foods.
From 2012 through his retirement in January 2026, Bertrand served as Director of Culinary and Wellness Services for Minneapolis Public Schools.
During his tenure, he transformed the district’s food program through the “Rethinking MPS School Lunch” initiative, returning all schools to scratch cooking, introducing Market Cart Salad Bars, and advancing progressive initiatives such as Minnesota Thursdays, the Plant Protein Challenge, and the True Food No Waste Action Plan.
Bertrand also oversaw the major renovation and modernization of the district’s central production kitchen. The project expanded the district’s ability to support scratch cooking, strengthen local sourcing, increase culinary capacity, and enhance operational efficiency — positioning MPS as a national model for how modernized central kitchens can elevate quality and sustainability in school meal programs.
He has served in key leadership roles with national and regional organizations, including the School Nutrition Association’s Major City Committee, the National Farm to School Network Advisory Board, ScratchWorks, the Chef Ann Foundation Lunch Box, and the IFMA K-12 Leadership Council. His contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the IFMA Silver Plate Award, FAME Silver Rising Star and Golden Director Awards, United Fresh K-12 Produce Excellence in Food Service Award, and Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From.
Today, Bertrand continues to share his expertise and passion for transforming school food systems, supporting districts and organizations reimagining what healthy, sustainable, and equitable school meals can be.
What I love about my work:
I entered school food because of a tragic turning point in my own life—when my son was diagnosed with diabetes, I saw firsthand how profoundly food shapes health, dignity, and opportunity. That experience set me on a path to ensure all children have access to real, nourishing meals.
A core part of my passion is sharing best practices and strengthening programs nationally, because lasting change happens when we lift entire communities and create collective impact.
Today, my grandchildren are the driving force behind this work. They remind me every day why creating healthier, more sustainable school food systems matters—for their generation and the ones to come.
Fun Fact:
My love of the outdoors and hiking has taken me from paragliding off the Swiss Alps to camping in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.