Juan Figueroa (activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Figueroa
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| Personal details | |
| Born | November 13, 1953 Ciales, Puerto Rico |
| Spouse | Helene Figueroa |
| Occupation | Consultant |
Juan A. Figueroa is an American consultant and political activist. He helps organizations with their plans and goals. He works with Helene Figueroa at Soltaino Consultants. This company helps other groups with planning, research, and supporting health causes. They are known for a study on the health of immigrants and refugees in Missouri.
Before this, he was the president and CEO of the Jefferson Foundation. This foundation gives money to support health and services in Jefferson County, Missouri. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Figueroa was the top assistant, or Chief of Staff, for Mayor Pedro Segarra in Hartford, Connecticut. He also helped start the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Earlier, he was the president and general counsel of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. In 2010, Mr. Figueroa tried to become the Democratic Party candidate for governor of Connecticut.
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About Juan Figueroa
Juan Figueroa was born and grew up in Ciales, Puerto Rico. His grandfather, Don Claudio Figueroa Colon, was a tenant farmer, meaning he farmed land that he did not own. His father, Juan Figueroa Nazario, was a veteran of the Korean War. His mother, Josefa Agosto Rosario, was a seamstress and a chaplain.
Juan Figueroa went to Macalester College on a scholarship. He then earned a law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He and his wife, Helene Figueroa, live in Atlanta, Georgia. They have one daughter.
Juan Figueroa's Career
Early Work and Lawmaking
After college, Juan Figueroa moved to New Hampshire. He worked as a community organizer. This means he went door-to-door to help Latinos with jobs and education. After law school, he moved to Hartford. He worked as an Assistant Attorney General, which is a lawyer for the state. He handled legal cases about day care safety and protecting the environment.
Later, he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly. This is the state's law-making body, similar to a parliament. After serving three terms, he left to become the president and general counsel of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. This is a national civil rights group based in New York City. It is now called "LatinoJustice PRLDEF".
Working for Health Care
After almost ten years in New York City, he returned to Connecticut. He led the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. At the foundation, he worked to pass a bill for universal health care in Connecticut. Universal health care means that everyone has access to health services.
The bill passed, but Governor Jodi Rell did not approve it. Mr. Figueroa's group then brought together many people to convince the legislature to vote against the governor's decision. They succeeded! A group was then created to plan a statewide public health insurance program called SustiNet.
Later Roles and Media Appearances
In January 2010, he took a break to run for governor of Connecticut. After his campaign, he returned to the Universal Health Care Foundation. He later served as Chief of Staff for Mayor Pedro Segarra from 2013 to 2015. Then, he became the president and CEO of the Jefferson Foundation in Festus, Missouri, from 2017 to 2019.
Today, he works with Helene C. Figueroa at Soltaino Consultants. This company helps other groups with planning, research, and supporting health causes.
Mr. Figueroa has appeared on national TV shows like The Today Show, Crossfire, The O'Reilly Factor, Fox, and Telemundo. He used to write columns for The Hartford Courant newspaper. He is currently on the board of Latinos for National Health Insurance. He was also a board member for other groups like the Progreso Latino Fund and the Connecticut Public Health Association. The Hartford Business Journal, a big business newspaper, called him one of its "Health Care Heroes." This was for his important work in improving health care in Connecticut.
Campaign for Governor in 2010
In 2010, Juan Figueroa tried to win the Democratic Party's chance to run for governor. He tried to do this through a direct primary election. This meant he needed to get 15,000 signatures from registered Democrats. If he had succeeded, he would have been the first candidate to force a direct primary in this way.
On May 7, Mr. Figueroa decided to stop his campaign for governor. He said it was hard to raise enough money to compete against very wealthy candidates. In July, he went back to being president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.
See also
- Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2010
- SustiNet
- Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut
