Juan Vega

Since 2015, Juan Vega has served as the Assistant Secretary for Communities and Programs at the Executive Office of Economic Development. In this role, Juan is responsible for the distribution and management of over $150 million in state capital and operating grants to municipalities and community organizations throughout the Commonwealth. Juan provides general policy support within the Secretariat on various community economic development matters and diversity initiatives. Juan was a co-lead in the development and currently oversees the operations of EOED’s Community One Stop for Growth initiative, which streamlines state grantmaking across multiple agencies. A lifelong Chelsea resident, Juan has been active in community and civic engagement initiatives for over 30 years.

He served as an elected member of the Chelsea City Council from 1994 to 2001 and was selected by his peers to serve as Council President in 1999. Juan is a recipient of a 2009 Barr Foundation Fellowship for outstanding community service in Greater Boston. He currently volunteers as Chair of the Chelsea Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. Prior to joining the state, Juan served for seventeen years as President and CEO of Centro Latino, Inc., a multiservice nonprofit organization operating in Chelsea and Cambridge. Other experience includes working as a community organizer, coordinator in a state tax policy organization, and manager of several community economic development projects.