Jeff Vega

Jeff Vega was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident and passed away on October 6th 2009. BPGI has established a special fund to assist the Vega family. Unfortunately, contributions will not be tax deductible. We will continue to use this web page to provide updates on the family and report on the use of the funds. Let me share with you some insight.

The fund will be used for four purposes:

• Help cover the out of pocket costs of the family during his hospitalization at the University of Virginia medical center. The hospital was over three hours from their home so they are forced to stay in hotels. Jeff’s mother needed to be flown in from Columbia. They are not people of means.
  
  
• Help pay for medical bills. While we have an excellent insurance plan there are always co-pays and out of pocket costs. In addition Ginger will be eligible for COBRA insurance coverage to maintain their health care coverage but the premiums for family coverage are $1,000 per month. It is imperative that they maintain health care coverage due to Gingers own health challenges. She has an AVM and has already suffered one stroke. She is under the care of John Hopkins University.
  
  
• Help pay for legal, accounting and funeral costs.
  
  
• Help pay for education cost for the children. Jeff’s son, Christian, has just entered the University of Miami and his daughter Nicole is a junior in high school and as a very bright and motivated young lady she will be attending university in two years.

The fund has raised $80,000 to date (November 30, 2009) and disbursed $35,000. It is administered by Jim Preston and Jeff’s brother, Lou Vega.

You can donate using a credit/debit card via PayPal. Please note that you do not need to have a PayPal account to do this. When you get to the donation page, just follow the link on the bottom left in the section titled "Don't have a PayPal account?".

In a career that has spanned 20 years in the Office Products Industry, Jeff has been able to accomplish a great deal both professionally and personally. Jeff’s success is largely due to his deep knowledge of the industry, his ability to build relationships and negotiate fairly. He is well known for his hard work, determination and a desire to live life to the fullest.

Jeff’s career started in the furniture department at Allied Office Products in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. With a propensity to learn quickly and cultivate lasting relationships, Jeff was promoted with regularity. By 1994 he was the Operations Manager for the furniture department and also added some buying responsibilities by sourcing special order furniture.

In late 1995, Jeff and his family moved south to join Andrews Office Products, by then a founding company in U.S. Office Products. He assumed the role of inventory control supervisor in the 150,000 square foot Andrews/USOP facility. In that role, Jeff worked very closely with purchasing staff to strengthen inventory integrity and smooth out the stock replenishment process.

In 1997 Jeff’s efforts were recognized by USOP management, who moved Jeff from the Landover, Maryland Distribution Center to the Corporate Headquarters in Washington, where Jeff assumed the role of associate buyer. Jeff rapidly became well-versed in the processes of negotiating, catalog development and vendor problem resolution, and was promoted to Senior Buyer at the end of 1998.

USOP’s fortunes began to slide in 1999, yet Jeff continued to make great strides in securing solid programs for the company, earning a reputation as a knowledgeable and determined negotiator, and gaining significant respect from the vendor community.

In mid-2000, BPGI’s leadership reached out to Jeff and asked him to join their team as Director of Program Development. He had an immediate and positive effect on the organization, coordinating events, focusing negotiations and maintaining the global organization’s massive data base.
In March of 2001, Jeff was promoted to Executive Director, and worked closely with the CEO to build the organization from 10 to 21 members and was responsible for global negotiations. With the BPGI merger with Euroburo, Jeff focused his significant skills on improving the programs and viability of the independent dealers in North America and Australia. He also lead the BPGI global initiative to establish a direct import program.

Jeff’s long experience and keen insight into the office products industry when coupled with his strong relationship building skills and negotiating expertise have built a solid industry career. Thousands of independent dealers from around the world have benefited from his contribution.