City Manager of Ojai
Class of 2008
By Caleigh Tupy, English Intern
When people think of professions best suited for English majors, municipal leadership positions may not come to mind. However, as the City Manager of Ojai, James Vega (‘08) is putting his English degree to good use, directing the day-to-day operations of the city. Chief among his responsibilities is researching contentious issues and making policy recommendations for Ojai’s elected officials. Nevertheless, he wears many hats and is also in charge of writing public-facing communications, such as town ordinances. To do this effectively, he puts himself in the position of the general public, by anticipating their questions and designing his communications to be both understandable and comprehensive in nature. He considers it a job well done when he is able to convince the general public that a given policy decision is for the greater good of the community.
That being said, Vega’s advanced rhetorical abilities did not develop overnight. If you asked a teenaged Vega where he would be later in life, he never would have pictured himself as Ojai’s City Manager. Growing up in a tough neighborhood in South Oxnard made focusing on his educational future secondary. In fact, despite his exemplary test scores, his own high school counselor urged him to go down a more “practical” career path—that is, joining the military or attending air conditioning reparation school.
Vega had his own idea of success in mind, though. After speaking with one of his friends who had attended law school, he was advised to go to college and major in English. He was told that a plethora of doors would open up for him, in a variety of industries, if he just “learned how to write well.” Thus, Vega took it upon himself to enroll in a local community college as soon as he graduated. It was arduous, being a first-generation student, and working three jobs just to get by. Nevertheless, Vega persevered and eventually accrued enough credits to transfer to a four-year university.
Enrolling at CSUCI was a no-brainer for Vega—it was the closest, newest, and most affordable option. Fortunately, the university ended up suiting him perfectly too. The small class sizes allowed Vega to develop close relationships with his professors, who provided him with invaluable guidance regarding how to navigate the academic world. Vega also was impressed by the quality of the campus (which he compared to a resort) and its coursework (which he credited for exposing him to new literary genres). Above all else, Vega encourages current English majors to “savor the experience” and realize that their college experience may be the opportunity for them to “sit around a table and debate the meaning of Toni Morrison’s Beloved with six of their friends.”
After graduating from CSUCI with a degree in English and an emphasis in Education, Vega got a humble job as a Document Publishing Specialist for the City of Oxnard. While he was grateful for the job, he feared that he would never make it up the corporate ladder, in a company with 1200-some employees. Thus, to get some leverage in the field, he decided to enroll in law school. While this may sound like a daunting undertaking, Vega claimed that his foundation in writing allowed him to graduate law school with flying colors and become a licensed attorney shortly thereafter.
Interestingly, Vega’s work for the City of Oxnard seemed to follow him, even after he left his position and began to practice as an attorney specializing in civil litigation. The work that he produced and the reports that he curated made an impression, eventually earning him the attention of Oxnard’s Assistant City Manager. After reading Vega’s old reports, they contacted him with a job opportunity in their office—which Vega quickly accepted. Then, after acclimating himself to that role and style of writing, Vega transferred to the city of Ojai and worked his way up to becoming their City Manager in 2019.
While it is a busy job, Vega loves knowing that he is making a difference in the community. On the one hand, he gets to enact practical policies along the lines of filling potholes and maintaining parks; on the other hand, he gets to be a key part of landmark decisions on issues as critical as increasing affordable housing and mitigating the effects of climate change. Vega certainly has a lot to be proud of, with the passage of Ojai’s new tiny house permit and their eco-friendly All-electric REACH Code. What’s more, Vega has been able to initiate a ripple effect of change in nearby cities, inspiring them to adopt similar policies and guiding them through the necessary steps to get there.
Email: james.vega@ojai.ca.gov