Our Team

 Juan A. Figueroa, born in Ciales, Puerto Rico, is a lifelong public interest advocate with a successful background in law, public policy and civil rights at the national, state and local levels. His legal career includes appointments as staff attorney for the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, Assistant Attorney General for the state of Connecticut, President and General Counsel of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now Latino Justice, PRLDEF) in New York City, and Of Counsel to the Law Offices of David N. Feliu in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Mr. Figueroa served as State Representative for Hartford’s Third Assembly District and in 2010 became the first Latino in Connecticut to run for Governor. He was President of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, served as Chief of Staff to Hartford Mayor, Pedro Segarra and served as the President and CEO of the Jefferson Foundation in Missouri. He is a Principal in Soltaino Consultants and recently served as Interim COO for CHRIS 180 in Atlanta.

MaryBeth Deiters is the Administration and Grants Manager of The Sapelo Foundation.

With a belief that the actions of everyday citizens can affect extraordinary change, MaryBeth utilizes her past experience in foundation operations from her Corporate Support position with the University of Oregon Foundation and grants management expertise as the Grants Coordinator/Writer for the City of Hinesville to further the mission of The Sapelo Foundation. She believes that by investing strategically in the community and in passionate organizations, the foundation’s goal of a just Georgia can be realized.