White House Executive Pastry Chef William Yosses was announced as a keynote speaker at the First Annual Farm to Table International Symposium (F2Ti), which will take place Aug 2-4, 2013 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (MCCNO). Produced by MCCNO in partnership with the SoFAB Institute, F2Ti will feature the brightest thought leaders and leading practitioners in the burgeoning farm-to-table movement and will explore the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of food and drink sourced locally to globally.

William Yosses has held the prestigious title of the White House Executive Pastry Chef since January 2007.  Other executive pastry chef experience includes The Dressing Room in Westport Connecticutt, Tavern on the Green in New York City; Bouley Bakery and Bouley Restaurant.

As Pastry Chef of the White House, he has been closely involved with Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which aims to reduce childhood health problems related to diet.  He also conducts bi-weekly tours of the White House vegetable garden for school groups.

In a related project, he has given lectures on Science and Cooking in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, and was instrumental in building a program in the Physics Department of Harvard University in conjunction with Chop Chop Magazine called “Camp Chop Chop,” in which healthy foods and innovative exercises are used to introduce scientific concepts to 4^th and 5^th graders

Yosses spent his early career in France in highly recognized landmarks  as Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, and LeNôtre.  In New York, he helped develop “The Dinner Party Project” as a part of Spoons Across America’s programming in which chefs teach kids about healthy food choices and how to prepare a dinner party for their parents.

Yosses has an A.A.S. degree in Hotel Management from New York City College of Technology, a Master of Arts in French Language from Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Arts in French language from the University of Toledo. He has published two books, Desserts for Dummies 1997, and The Perfect Finish, Special Desserts for Every Occasion, 2010.

 He is the recipient of the James Beard Who’s Who Award and Food Arts Magazine Silver Spoon Award.

Previously announced F2Ti speakers include Los Angeles Unified School District Director of Food Services and award-winning chef David Binkle, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner and longtime champion of the farm to table movement, Jim Hightower, and award-winning author William Rubel.

F2Ti is designed to facilitate education and collaboration among chefs, mixologists, culinary professionals; restaurateurs; researchers, academics and policymakers; legal and financial professionals; farmers and other agricultural professionals; food and drink writers, publishers and media; slow food advocates and beverage enthusiasts; brewers, distillers, vintners, and distributors; Farmers Markets, Urban Farms; nutritionists and other health professionals; and anyone with an interest in the farm-to-table movement.

To register, or for more information about the First Annual Farm to Table International Symposium, please visit f2t-int.com.