Barbara Vega is Director of Expansion/Foundation Relations with Cross International/Cross Catholic Outreach, an international relief and development ministry in South Florida, with a mission to advance the physical, social, educational, and spiritual well-being of beneficiaries in 28 countries on four continents. Ms. Vega has assisted in shaping development initiatives in hundreds of communities around the world.
The department she currently directs generates over $2M a year to assist the poor worldwide. For the current COVID-19 crisis, she has successfully raised over a quarter of a million dollars for several ministries in Central America. She is currently working to obtain USAID grants for COVID-19 and food security for Africa and Central America.
Mrs. Vega holds a BA in Economics/Management from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Masters’ Degree in Adult/Secondary Education (Bilingual/Bicultural Studies) from California State University.
After graduation she lived and worked abroad, teaching English as a Foreign Language to company executives in Mexico City, Mexico and in San Juan Puerto Rico. Upon returning to the U.S., Barbara spent over ten years in adult and secondary education in greater Los Angeles where she set up and directed career-based ESL/English language learning programs at vocational and community colleges.
She moved from that field to Information Technologywriting technical manuals for a publishing software company, and later she applied for grants for a law enforcement software company where she managed the Technical Publications-Grants department.
She now uses her fundraising skills to secure major gifts and foundation grants as Director of Missions Relations for Cross Catholic Outreach. This year, Barbara completed the Harvard Executive Education Program certificate program for Nonprofit Management-Performance Measurement.
Mrs. Vega has served on several boards, including Alfalit International and the International Children’s Heart Foundation, as well as the Mayor’s Educational Task Force for the City of Sunrise, FL. She is past Vice President of the Lion’s Club of South Florida.  She has traveled to many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa.
Outside of work, she enjoys being with family–her husband and two sons–travel, piano, tennis, her dogs, and volunteering for humanitarian aid causes.