Aaron Vega (born August 15, 1970) is an American
state legislator who previously represented the
5th Hampden district of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives, co-owner of a yoga business, and a former
film editor. He has been nominated for the
Argentine Film Critics Association's
Silver Condor Award for Best Film for directing jazz documentary Van Van - Empezó la fiesta!, and has worked on several PBS documentaries including
American Experience and Ken Burns' Jazz.[1] A member of the
Democratic Party, Vega began his political career in 2009 when he successfully ran as a city councilor in
Holyoke, and subsequently ran successfully for
state representative for the 5th Hampden district in 2012.[2] In 2020, then-Mayor
Alex Morse appointed Vega as Director of the City of Holyoke's Office of Planning and Economic Development, replacing outgoing director Marcos Marrero; Vega assumed the office on January 21, 2021, and would subsequently lead Mayor
Josh Garcia's transition team.[3][4]
Personal life
The son of local Ecuadorian activist and cofounder of
Nueva Esperanza, Carlos Vega, Aaron Vega was born in Holyoke on August 15, 1970, and grew up in
South Holyoke, attending
Morgan Elementary School, before moving with his mother to
New Hampshire. He graduated from
Mascenic Regional High School in 1988,[2][5] and soon after attended
Holyoke Community College and subsequently
Keene State College where he received dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and film studies.[2] Over the next several years he worked as an editor on a number of
PBS documentaries, including several directed by
Ken Burns, before returning to Holyoke in 2002.[1][6] In 2008, Vega opened a
yoga studio with his wife in the converted
Lyman Mills, now known as Open Square, becoming a mobile yoga service in 2017. Vega resides in Holyoke with his wife Debra, who teaches dance at
Mount Holyoke College,[7] his three daughters, and son.[2] He is a member of the board of the Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice.[8]
Selected filmography
Vega has worked as an editor for a number of films, primarily
human interest stories told through documentaries. He is credited as the film editor of the following works, unless otherwise noted[1]
Refugee Kids: One Small School Takes on the World, 2014, short
Massachusetts House of Representatives (2013–2021)
Vega ran for the Massachusetts House of Representative's 5th Hampden District legislative seat, which was made vacant upon the resignation of incumbent state representative
Michael F. Kane who accepted a position with
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts.[9] He defeated the Republican nominee Ward 5 City Councilor Linda M. Vacon and Green-Rainbow nominee Jerome T. Hobert[10] and was sworn in on January 2, 2013. He is a member of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.[11]
Committee assignments
Committee on Personnel and Administration
Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies
^"Carlos Vega Board Members". Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice. 2014. Archived from
the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2018-07-05. Aaron is Carlos's eldest son and the current chair of the advisory board. After a career in documentary films as an editor Vega moved back to Holyoke in 2002 and quickly got involved in the community. In 2009 Vega ran for the Holyoke City Council as an at-large candidate and won. He won a second two-year term in 2011 and then ran for the State Representative Seat in 2012. In his first term as the state representative, he worked on economic development, higher education and workforce development opportunities. In addition to his political life, Vega is a yoga instructor. He and his wife own VegaYoga & Movement Arts. He has three adult daughters and a son.