Margaret Perakis is a school teacher in the Maryland school system. She has served as the liaison between the South African community and the South African Embassy for the past 20 years. She has coordinated the South African Freedom Day picnic, an annual event in the DMV area that draws thousands of South Africans from across the northeastern United States. Perakis is a passionate advocate for the arts and works tirelessly to promote art and culture from her native South Africa. She also fundraises for causes close to her heart and collaborates with organizations such as Umoja and the Mandela Foundation. She is a Founder of SACU and served on the Board as Executive Director and Director of Administration and Operations for 8 years.