Heidi Kessler brings bold energy and nearly two decades of experience in childhood obesity prevention, behavioral economics, policy and environmental change, and program design and evaluation - with a primary focus on international school meal programs. At the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), Heidi serves as Deputy Director, where she leads day-to-day operations and finances while driving the strategy behind the Foundation’s two flagship initiatives: The Global Survey of School Meal Programs and the Global Child Nutrition Forum. She ensures these programs remain globally inclusive, evidence-driven, and action-oriented – supporting governments and their partners to share knowledge, identify needs, and scale solutions. She is equally passionate about building healthy, high functioning teams, identifying and executing efficiencies, and leading through transitions while staying laser-focused on GCNF’s mission. Prior to GCNF, Heidi held leadership roles at the Chef Ann Foundation, Cornell University’s Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition (BEN) Center, and Maine Health’s Let’s Go!, a multi-sector childhood obesity prevention program. Across these roles, Heidi shaped her philosophy of work: bold ideas, inclusive collaboration, and a sense of playfulness can coexist with deep dedication to improving nutrition for children. Heidi holds a MS in Nutrition, is a School Nutrition Specialist (SNS), is certified in food safety, and is trained in emergency response.