Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
WASHINGTON, November 5, 2025 — The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the leading national anti-hunger advocacy organization, is proud to announce Gina Plata-Nino, J.D., has been named to serve as its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) director.
In this role, Plata-Nino will wield her expertise to raise awareness about the importance of SNAP in helping tens of millions of families put food on the table while also stimulating local economies. She will utilize her political acumen to advocate for policies that protect and strengthen the program and will provide technical assistance and support to FRAC’s network of anti-hunger advocates around the country. Plata-Nino will build on her success as the organization’s interim SNAP director.
“We are thrilled to have Gina step into this role,” said FRAC President Crystal FitzSimons. “She leads with urgency and a commitment to helping those struggling against hunger, keeps our network of advocates informed and equipped with the tools they need, and mobilizes stakeholders on every level to act. With SNAP cuts taking effect, a Farm Bill on the horizon, and the delay of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, her leadership couldn’t be more critical.”
Plata-Nino joined FRAC in 2022 as deputy director of SNAP. In 2023, she served as a senior policy advisor for Nutrition and Agriculture in the Biden-Harris administration’s Domestic Policy Council, where she helped lead the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. She worked with federal agencies and private stakeholders to advance the goal of ending hunger and diet-related diseases by 2030.
Before joining FRAC, Plata-Nino was a lead advocate at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, where she spearheaded the Hunger Free Campus legislative campaign and advanced efforts to address food security issues among college students. Earlier in her career, she worked as a legal services attorney with the Central West Justice Center, representing individuals with low incomes across Central Massachusetts. In that role, she saw firsthand how complex systems such as long wait times and paperwork kept people from getting food assistance. She went on to play a key role in advancing legislation with the Massachusetts legislative delegation and collaborated with state and federal agencies to eliminate barriers to food access.
“SNAP is facing one of the most significant and historic threats in its history. I’m honored to step into this role at FRAC to push back against these challenges and defend a program that helps more than 42 million children, older adults, and families put food on the table,” said Plata-Nino. “Our work goes beyond protecting SNAP. It’s about addressing the systemic root causes of hunger, including low wages, insufficient job opportunities, and rising housing costs.”
Plata-Nino holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history from Montclair State University. In 2019, the Massachusetts Bar Association named her an Access to Justice Award Rising Star. In 2022, she received the Liberty Award from the Worcester County Bar Association and the Top Women of Law award from the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. In 2025, she was selected to be part of the Obama Foundation USA Leaders Program.
Plata-Nino is actively involved in her local community and serves on various boards and coalitions.
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads,
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