Betsy Helgesen is the Senior Director of Campus Retail at the University of Minnesota Duluth and has a passion for leadership and service. As the Director of Dining Services at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Betsy has been a catalyst of change in modernizing service, food, and technology. Her strategic leadership delivers culinary excellence and modernizing technology to a dynamic self-operated dining program. UMD Dining now boasts online ordering, handheld nutritional analysis, fresh inclusive menus, data analytics, and dashboards. Betsy holds a BA from Harvard University and a Culinary of Arts degree from Western Culinary. Betsy recently completed her Masters in Professional Studies with a focus on Organizational Development at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her capstone project was entitled, “Igniting Engagement: Using Surveys to Launch Exploration, Connection, and Joy in College & University Dining Services Settings”.
Before joining the team at UMD, Betsy was a District Manager for Starbucks and opened markets in Wisconsin, Detroit, and Kansas City and was awarded “Manager of the Year" for the corporation. For sixteen years, Betsy was the chef and owner of her own restaurant in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. This restaurant was a chef’s dream and focused on seasonal menus, local ingredients, and strong community relationships. Betsy also led teams for Aramark Healthcare and was inducted into their Ring of Stars.
