Ellen Haas directs the Podesta Group’s food, nutrition and agriculture policy practice, providing clients with her wealth of experience in public service and consumer advocacy as senior adviser. Among her accomplishments at the Podesta Group, she helped a client develop and promote a healthy living curriculum for elementary school students.
During President Clinton’s Administration, Ellen served as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. She oversaw the nation’s 15 food assistance programs, including Food Stamps, the Women’s Infants and Children (WIC) program, and the School Lunch program, as well as the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Widely recognized for reforming the School Lunch program to provide children with healthier meals, she developed the Team Nutrition campaign, engaging 200 food and health companies and organizations to educate children about healthy food choices.
Ellen is the founder of FoodFit.com (a division of the Health Central Network, Inc.), which provides consumers with the information and tools that they need to lead healthier lives. A five-time president of the Consumer Federation of America, Ellen also founded and served as executive director of Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, where she was instrumental in improving food labeling, seafood safety and beef grading.
A native of Queens, New York, Ellen has a BA in history from the University of Michigan. She is also a member of Harvard University’s Food Policy Group and serves on the Future State Advisory Board of the Campbell Soup Company, as well as on the boards of the Springboard Trust and the L’Enfant Trust for historic preservation.
