Jessica Vega Pederson
Jessica Vega Pederson | |
---|---|
Multnomah County Commissioner | |
Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Judy Shiprack |
Constituency | East and Southeast Portland |
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 47th district | |
In office January 14, 2013 – January 3, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Jefferson Smith |
Succeeded by | Diego Hernandez |
Personal details | |
Born | 1975 (age 48–49) Crown Point, Indiana |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Loyola University Chicago (BA) |
Profession | Program Manager |
Jessica Vega Pederson is a Democratic politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives, for two two-year terms, from January 2013 through 2016. Since January 2017, Vega Pederson has been serving as county commissioner for Multnomah County, the state's most populous county.
Early life and education
Vega Pederson was born in Crown Point, Indiana, a small town near Chicago, and raised in a Mexican-American family.[1] Vega Pederson graduated from Loyola University Chicago, where she majored in informational systems management and technology.[2]
Career
Prior to running for political office, Vega Pederson was a project manager for a tech company.[1] Her listing within the Voter's Pamphlet read: "I am not a politician. I'm a mom and a professional. My husband has his own small business. We work hard and we want a better future for our kids."[2] She and her husband have two small children and live in East Portland.[3]
In November 2013, she was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, for District 47, for a two-year term starting in January 2013.[1] She was re-elected two years later.
In September 2015,[4] Vega Pederson announced that she would not seek re-election to the House,[5] and would instead run for election to the Multnomah County Commission, for a seat that was due to become open as a result of term limits requiring its then-holder Judy Shiprack to leave the seat.[4] She won election to the commission in the May 2016 primary, representing county District 3, for a four-year term to begin in January 2017. She was sworn in on January 3, 2017.[6][7] On May 19, 2020, Jessica Vega Pederson was re-elected to a four-year term on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.[8]
References
- ^ a b c Kozinskiy, Olga (November 14, 2012). "Emerging Women". Willamette Week. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jessica Vega Pederson emphasizes education in run for District 47 seat". El Hispanic News. May 3, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ "Voter Guide: State Representative -- 47th District". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- ^ a b Theriault, Denis C. (September 10, 2015). "East Portland lawmaker running for Multnomah County board". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Hansen, Kristina (May 8, 2016). "Oregon Republicans hope to pick up a few seats in Legislature". Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. Associated Press. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Parks, Casey (January 4, 2017) [online date January 3]. "Multnomah County: Commission is more diverse than ever". The Oregonian. p. A6. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Manning, Rob (January 3, 2017). "Multnomah County Swears In All-Female Commission". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ "No clear winner in Multnomah County chair race". opb. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
External links
- Website at Multnomah County
- Project VoteSmart biography
- 1975 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- American politicians of Mexican descent
- Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Oregon
- Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
- Loyola University Chicago alumni
- Members of the Oregon House of Representatives
- Multnomah County Commissioners
- Oregon Democrats
- Politicians from Chicago
- People from Crown Point, Indiana
- Politicians from Portland, Oregon
- Women state legislators in Oregon