Maine Justice Foundation's Staff
Michelle Draeger, Executive Director
Michelle is responsible for overall management of MJF in order to maximize resources that support access to civil justice, including legal aid, pro bono legal services, and related law education.
Michelle Draeger became the fifth Executive Director of the Foundation in May, 2020. A native of Maine, Ms. Draeger graduated from the University of Maine, School of Law. She began her legal career as a staff attorney at Pine Tree Legal Services, focusing on cases involving domestic violence. Ms. Draeger then entered private practice at a litigation firm in Portland before moving to Washington, DC to join the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement where she worked for two years and then in the Commission’s Boston office for six years as a Senior Enforcement Counsel. Upon Ms. Draeger's return to Maine with her family, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maine and later as an in-house counsel and compliance professional for a large healthcare entity.
Ms. Draeger has served on the Board of Trustees of the Falmouth Land Trust and has also served as Vice President and Chair of the Development Committee. Ms. Draeger was a member of the inaugural class of the New Girls Network and later served on the boards of the Maine Women’s Fund and the Maine Humanities Council.
Ms. Draeger is delighted to live, work and raise her two daughters in her native state of Maine with her husband, Scot and their best pal, Maple.
Linsey MacDougall, Director of Development & Operations
Linsey serves critical fundraising and operations functions for the Maine Justice Foundation as Director of Development & Operations.
With nearly two decades of experience in nonprofit and corporate leadership, Linsey has a strong background in strategic planning, financial management, organizational development, and operational efficiency. She holds advanced degrees from Franklin Pierce University and Boston University, along with certificates in Destination Management, and is an AGW Certified Grant Writer.
Linsey has expertise in community engagement, program development, and operational execution. Before joining the Foundation, she held leadership roles in business development, marketing, and operations across the tourism, commercial arts, and sports industries, including positions at Visit Portland and the Maine Mariners hockey team. She has successfully led major system migrations, managed complex budgets, and driven revenue growth through fundraising and sales initiatives.
Passionate about strengthening Maine communities, Linsey serves on the Board of Directors for the Maine Sports Commission and has recently joined the Citizen Advisory Board for the Cumberland County Extension Association. She is also a Master Food Preserver volunteer for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, supporting communities throughout Maine.
Linsey lives in Portland with her family and, in her spare time, enjoys tending to her large vegetable garden and exploring new hiking trails.
Sherri Minoty, Administrative and Development Assistant
Sherri provides administrative support to the Foundation and its development efforts. She is responsible for maintaining Maine’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program database. She also serves as MJF’s receptionist.
Sherri is responsible for gift processing for the annual Campaign for Justice and maintains its donor database. She also provides administrative support to the Maine Civil Legal Services Fund Commission.
Prior to joining the Foundation in 2001, her background included working many years in the field of Customer Relations. She is married with two children and enjoys photography, camping, and traveling.
“When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.”
Martin Luther King, Jr