Juan Figueroa

Deputy Director

Juan A. Figueroa joins AVLF as the new Deputy Director. Born in Ciales, Puerto Rico, Juan is a lifelong public interest advocate with a successful background in law, policy and civil rights at the national, state and local levels. His extensive legal career includes assignments 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. In 2021, he relocated to the state of Georgia where he has served as Interim COO of Chris 180 as well as Interim Executive Director of the Sapelo Foundation.

 

“We are thrilled to welcome Juan to the AVLF team,” said Executive Director Michael Lucas. “He brings with him incredible experience and a vast background that is already yielding new insights for AVLF. We are fortunate that he will now be leading our day-to-day operations.”

 

A former op-ed columnist for the Hartford Courant, his views and opinions have appeared in print and broadcast. His national news roster includes the New York Times, The Today Show, The O’Reilly Factor, Crossfire, Geraldo Rivera Show, Univision and Telemundo. Mr. Figueroa has received numerous community awards and recognitions for his tireless dedication to public service. He holds honorary degrees from CUNY Law School in New York and Charter Oak College in Connecticut.

 

Mr. Figueroa received his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University in California and his Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in St Paul Minnesota. He and his wife Helene reside in Stone Mountain, Georgia and have one daughter, Taina.