Meet the Team
LaMonika Jones, Director
Julia Gross, Senior Anti-Hunger Program Associate
jgross@mdhungersolutions.org
Phone extension: 6029
Brielle Pinzini, Anti-Hunger Program Associate
BPinzini@mdhungersolutions.org
Andrea Dulanto, Anti-Hunger Program Associate
ADulanto@mdhungersolutions.org
LaMonika Jones
LaMonika joined Maryland Hunger Solutions as the Interim Director in 2024, and now serves as the Director. She also serves as the director of D.C. Hunger Solutions. In that position, Jones has been instrumental in advocating for enhanced Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and funding for critical programs such as universal school meals, Summer EBT, and the early child tax credit, that address poverty and the root causes of hunger.
Prior to D.C. Hunger Solutions, Jones served as the Procurement and Purchasing Compliance Officer with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, working within the Nutrition Services Division, providing technical assistance and monitoring oversight for child nutrition program providers participating in the Child and Adult Food Care Program and Summer Food Service Program. She also served as a steering committee member of the Georgia Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition, focusing on the use of local food systems in early child care and K-12.
Jones holds a B.A. in Political Science and Communication from Oakland University and a M.Ed. in Urban Teacher Leadership from Georgia State University. She was a 2021-2022 Equity Leaders Action Network (ELAN) Fellow working diligently to advance policies, practices, programs, and initiatives that intentionally redress racial marginalization and create racial equity in early childhood systems. She is also an Advisory Board Member for the National Farm to School Network; Executive Committee Member of DC Good Food Purchasing Program Coalition; Co-Chair of the Fair Budget Coalition Food Access Issue Group; and Co-Chair of FRAC’s Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Julia Gross, She/Her
Julia joined Maryland Hunger Solutions in October 2018. In her role as anti-hunger program associate, she works with a diverse group of state and local partners to expand participation in and access to child nutrition programs, including school and out-of-school-time meals, WIC, and Pandemic EBT. Before coming to Maryland Hunger Solutions, Julia served as a health educator with Peace Corps Albania and AmeriCorps VISTA, focusing on youth development and women’s health issues.
Julia received her B.A. in Anthropology from San Diego State University and holds a Master of Public Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Brielle Pinzini, She/Her
Brielle joined Maryland Hunger Solutions as an AmeriCorps VISTA SNAP Outreach Associate in June 2021. She began as a Summer Associate and is currently the yearlong VISTA. Her work focuses on building the capacity of the SNAP Outreach team and leading the Hunger-Free Campus Network Initiative.
Brielle earned her B.A. in Film and Sociology from Temple University and is currently working towards her M.S. in Nutrition Education from American University.
Andrea Dulanto, She/They
Andrea joined FRAC in June 2021 as an Anti-Hunger Program Assistant. In this role, they assist with SNAP outreach through the Maryland Hunger Solutions hotline. They also support outreach through the development of relationships with community partners and other organizations. Their professional experience includes working as a tutor, writer, editor, and English as a Second Language instructor. Andrea has a B.A. in Literature from Antioch College, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Florida International University.
