Suzanne Mead Feldmann
A proud native of San Antonio, Suzanne Mead Feldmann has spent her entire 38-year career in the philanthropic sector, specifically focused on issues related to improving the lives of children and families. After graduating from the University of Texas (Austin), Ms. Feldmann began her career at CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital, where she raised tens of millions of dollars to support pediatric healthcare. Over the course of several years, she has also served in multiple volunteer roles supporting capital campaigns that have raised more than $150 million for the Children’s Hospital. She then spent 16 years as CEO of the Goldsbury Foundation, a San Antonio private family foundation focused on catalytic philanthropy. In that role, she managed the stewardship of significant philanthropic funds directed toward innovative programs addressing a range of needs in the education, healthcare, and social service sectors. She also worked with the Goldsbury trustees to re-vision their philanthropic focus, eventually leading to the creation of an innovative childhood nutrition initiative: CHEF® (Culinary Health Education for Families).
As founder and CEO of CHEF®, Ms. Feldmann was responsible for setting the vision for the program and for leveraging a network of strategic partners to ensure its scalability and sustainability long-term. The award-winning CHEF program offers a flexible, evidence-based approach to addressing childhood obesity by teaching nutrition and practical cooking skills to children and families. The goal is to motivate individuals to adopt and sustain healthier eating habits. By partnering with school districts, the San Antonio Food Bank, and other nonprofit organizations, CHEF® reached more than 108,000 individuals in three years. Having successfully handed off the program to the San Antonio Food Bank, Ms. Feldmann retired from CHEF® in September of 2023. She serves as the current chair of the CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. She and her husband, Kirk, are proud parents of Anne Marie (married to Will Oliver) who is following in her mother’s footsteps as the Director of Women United for the United Way, and Maxwell, a junior at the University of Notre Dame.
