Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Board Member Jack Vega of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation for answering a few questions about your journey.

Where were you born and raised, and if it was someplace else, when and why did you come to Loudoun?

I was born in Medellin, Colombia, and was raised there until the age of 13. In 1980, my parents, two of my four sisters, and I moved as my father pursued an employment opportunity in the United States. We settled in Miami, Florida, where I went to one year of Junior High School (as it was called then) and three years of Senior High School.

I attended Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering, and got my first job at Dewberry in Northern Virginia in 1989. I lived in Northern Virginia for a decade, raised a family across the river in Frederick for 25 years, and resettled to Northern Virginia as an empty nester in 2023.  Although I did not live in Virginia for a bit, I worked in Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William for most of that time and consider Northern Virginia “my home.”

Tell us about your business and how long you’ve been in your industry.

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation is a private Virginia philanthropy established in 1987 by Dr. Claude Moore.  Dr. Moore’s generosity created a philanthropic legacy that encourages giving folks, as he was fond of saying, “a leg up and not a handout.”  When Dr. Moore began investing in undeveloped Northern Virginia land in 1931, nearly a century ago, and throughout his life, it was mostly land he acquired in Loudoun County.  A big part of the land he acquired is today known as Moorefield, and the proceeds from that land allow the Foundation to continue its philanthropic work.

While my career is rooted in development for over three decades, working in wonderful communities, it is what I’ve been doing with the Foundation in optimizing Moorefield’s value that is most rewarding. The proceeds are heavily invested in the local community, helping Loudoun nonprofits help our most vulnerable citizens!

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How did you get into this line of work?

I am the son of a Civil Engineer, two of my sisters were also civil engineers, and it seemed my destiny to become one also. After graduating from Virginia Tech, I started my career in civil engineering, first at Dewberry and later at Toll Brothers and again at Dewberry.

The career that once started in stormwater and water resources engineering quickly evolved into planning and design of memorable communities in Northern Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic, and later in Loudoun County, working on such landmark communities like Belmont Country Club, South Riding, Loudoun Valley, and eventually Moorefield, named after Dr. Moore.

I’ve always found that my culture, language, and love of history enhanced my professional desire to make an impact in the communities I worked on.

Have you had any special mentors or inspirations that guided your career?

Resoundingly, yes!  My family deeply shaped how I see the world and approach my work. My parents greatly influenced me throughout my life and imparted in me a desire to make my own family unit the center of my world.  Daily, my wife and children inspire me to make a difference in the work that I do.

While I am grateful to have shared the cultural experiences that my Colombian heritage provided me, they motivate me to maintain a balanced view of the world around us, making each relationship valuable and enriching.

Professionally, I have been blessed with many generous mentors along the way, from the technical mentors as a young engineer and to those who guided and advised me later in my career as management opportunities came my way.

What is the best part of your job and why?

The best part of my job is coming to work each day knowing that I have an opportunity to make a difference.  The Foundation’s purpose aligns with my passion to leave a legacy that other families can build from.  Planning resilient and sustainable communities that families can call home while at the same time helping their neighbors and, each with unique, diverse cultural backgrounds, looking to build a phenomenal human community.

What is it like doing business in Loudoun?

Doing business in Loudoun, Virginia, has been inspirational.  Loudoun is in a unique position to evolve into a balanced region where we can work, live, play, and prosper, and shine a light on the fact that we can accomplish many complex things concurrently.  We have so many things going for us: great infrastructure, great people with a desire to contribute.  We should strive to thrive economically, successfully, while doing so in a compassionate and inclusive manner.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Hispanic Heritage Month reminds me to celebrate my cultural heritage and honor those who charted a pathway for our current and future generations to succeed. It’s a moment to reflect not only on my journey but that of many others to highlight the many proud cultures in our region, continually striving to enhance our local communities by making enriching contributions to those around us.  It is an opportunity for our community to be a source of strength and inspiration to other regions.

As a youth, I often heard the phrase “ponte las pilas,” which, according to Google, translates to ‘get your act together,’ but it is way more than that.  It also means having your ‘head on a swivel’ and being sensitive, aware of what is happening around you (socially, economically), and striving to make life easier and better for those around you.  It also means to work hard and lead by example to inspire those around you. We need to continue that culture of sharing in our understanding of one another and help build a more inclusive, understanding, and connected world.

Favorite things to do when you are not working?

When I’m not working, I love exploring our region’s rich history, even when doing everyday things. I’m an avid reader of ‘all things history’ and enjoy all kinds of podcasts, books, and movies centered on our young nation’s history, most of it that occurred in our region from the Revolutionary War to today.  While I enjoy a good historical fiction story, I gravitate to nonfiction and everything in between.

I appreciate a good cup of coffee to start the day (of course, I’m Colombian after all), a great family vacation, and traveling, often taking detours to learn about local history and different cultures.  I also love watching and attending sporting events, fueling my sports addictions, mostly centered around my Hokie sports and my favorite lifelong sport, soccer, i.e., the ‘real’ football!