Media Contact:
Jordan Baker
jbaker@frac.org
202-640-1118
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2025 – The Board of Directors of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) has selected Crystal FitzSimons to serve as president of the national anti-hunger organization after a nationwide search facilitated by Boardwalk Consulting. FitzSimons has been with FRAC for 26 years, most recently serving as FRAC’s interim president since July 2024.
“On behalf of the entire board of directors, I am thrilled to announce that Crystal will serve as the next president of FRAC. She has been instrumental in bolstering the organization’s capacity to further its mission of ending hunger in America by strengthening internal communications, deepening staff engagement, and applying her deep policy and program expertise. Crystal is a strategic leader who brings the thoughtful leadership we need to build a nation free from hunger,” said Kellie Adesina, chair of the FRAC Board of Directors.
FitzSimons said, “FRAC is an extraordinary organization whose work makes a profound difference in the lives of people throughout the nation. It’s been a privilege to focus most of my career in service to its mission, and I’m deeply honored to partner with the board and our exceptional staff to lead us into this next chapter.”
FitzSimons is a national leader and policy expert in the anti-hunger community. She has been instrumental in FRAC’s efforts to expand and increase access to child nutrition programs through federal and state legislation, administrative advocacy, coalition building, training, research, regrants, and technical support. Her work to reduce childhood hunger through the federal nutrition programs includes: the creation and implementation of the Pandemic and Summer EBT Programs, the push for child nutrition waivers during the pandemic that allowed schools to offer school meals to all their students at no charge, the nationwide expansion of the Afterschool Meal Program and the Community Eligibility Provision, and the launch of FRAC’s Healthy School Meals for All campaign.
Prior to FRAC, FitzSimons held positions with Stand for Children, the Center for Community Change, and Housing Comes First. She holds a bachelor’s in philosophy and sociology from Carroll University in Wisconsin and a Master of Social Work from Washington University in Missouri.
FRAC 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 about FRAC, visit FRAC.org.
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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, and Bluesky.
