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] Prior to running for political office, Vega Pederson was a project manager for a tech company.

[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.

[6][7] On May 19, 2020, Jessica Vega Pederson was re-elected to a four-year term on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.