Michelle Vega serves as the Public Affairs Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and is responsible for external and internal communications on behalf of the largest child welfare agency in the nation. Michelle came to the Department with more than 20 years of public affairs and public policy experience, during which time she has crafted strategic initiatives and provided counsel to elected officials, senior executives, community leaders, advocacy organizations, and trade associations.
Prior to joining the Department of Children and Family Services, Michelle was a policy deputy for Supervisor Kathryn Barger and then-Supervisor Michael Antonovich. In this capacity, Michelle was responsible for developing child welfare, social service, workforce development, and educational initiatives to support public policy goals. Michelle regularly engaged with county leadership, community organizations, service providers, philanthropy, educational institutions, and advocates to advance identified child welfare and social program priorities and ensure effective service delivery in practice.
Michelle served as a Vice President at Edelman, a global communications firm where she led the Los Angeles Public Affairs practice. Michelle developed and directed a multitude of strategic public affairs programs that included key message development, stakeholder engagement, media outreach, and content development. Michelle also worked as a Regional Director of External Affairs at UCLA and an Account Executive at Cerrell Associates.
Michelle is a dedicated and passionate advocate for the safety and well-being of the children of Los Angeles County, and the vital role that government can play in supporting families in our communities. She earned her B.A. in History from UCLA and was a participant in the University of California Center for American Politics and Public Policy in Washington, D.C.