Meet the Chefs

Central Kitchen Manager, Chef

Karen Weber is an accomplished operations leader known for turning ideas into action and teams into success stories. With experience as Vice President of Operations for ISS, Guckenheimer serving Google’s food program, and Regional Vice President of Operations at Chipotle Mexican Grill, she brings a strong focus on systems, people, and results to every role she takes on.

From opening new restaurants nationwide to strengthening leadership teams and rolling out smart training programs, Karen has a proven knack for boosting performance and creating a culture where people thrive. She’s passionate about developing others and finding better ways to deliver high-quality service every day.

As Central Kitchen Manager, Karen leads with energy and care, ensuring that every meal reflects her commitment to excellence and community. Her optimism, strategic mindset, and people-first approach make her a driving force behind The Central Kitchen’s mission to serve our students.

Food Truck Multi-Site Supervisor

Yolanda Marculescu is an accomplished culinary professional whose career bridges San Francisco’s iconic food scene and Sacramento’s growing farm-to-fork community. A graduate of the University of San Francisco with a degree in Business and a minor in Hospitality Management, Yolanda spent nearly two decades in San Francisco honing her skills and deepening her commitment to fresh, seasonal cuisine.

She began her culinary journey at Millennium, where she mastered the art of vegan and vegetarian cooking, and went on to spend nine years as sous chef at Greens, a pioneering fine-dining vegetarian restaurant and a founding member of the farm-to-fork movement since the 1980s. Her time there cemented her love for fruits, vegetables and the principles of slow food.

Yolanda later brought her expertise to Paula LeDuc Fine Catering in the East Bay before relocating to the Sacramento area. She helped launch and manage the kitchen for Stone Soup, a catering and to-go venture in Davis, before joining Nutrition Services in 2014, and transitioning in 2018 to The Central Kitchen, where she continues to champion healthy, flavorful meals rooted in fresh, local ingredients.

The Central Kitchen is also proud to note that Yolanda represented the team during the 2022 Food Literacy Center Veggie of the Year competition and took home the prize for most delicious bite as voted on by the kids!

Central Kitchen Floor Supervisor 

Miguel Ruiz Acosta runs the daily operations and production within the Central Kitchen. His culinary journey began at the age of 16, kindling a passion that would become an integral part of his identity. Inspired by his mother, a skilled chef herself, Miguel embarked on a culinary adventure that has since taken him to remarkable heights.

Miguel’s impressive resume boasts a six-year tenure as a sous chef at well known large establishments such as Compass Group, Microsoft, Visa HQ and Google. For a remarkable decade, he served as the Executive Chef at the Franchise Tax Board, one of California’s largest Federal buildings, where he orchestrated the preparation of over 3800 meals daily, all crafted with a commitment to 100 percent from-scratch cooking.

Since 2021, Miguel has been making a positive impact at SCUSD as a Multisite Supervisor overseeing meal service for Luther Burbank HS, Rosa Parks K-8, John Still Middle, John Still Elementary, Susan B Anthony, Success Academy and George W Carver. Managing 17,000 meals a week, he actively engages with student feedback to shape future menu items in collaboration with the Central Kitchen team.

When he’s not perfecting culinary creations, Miguel enjoys spending quality time with his family and sharing his love for soccer by coaching at Cal Middle School. His unwavering dedication to the Central Kitchen’s mission of delivering the freshest and highest-quality food to students truly shines through in his cheerful and wholesome approach to foodservice. Miguel’s favorite recipe, the creamy Chicken Chipotle Bowl over cilantro lime rice and mango black bean salsa, might just become a beloved SCUSD classic in the making!