Vaad earned a bachelor's degree in industrial construction management from Colorado State University. He spent most of his professional career within the Colorado Department of Transportation in many roles, including highway engineer, a management consultant, auditor, and legislative liaison. During his time at CDOT, Vaad spent 10 years working on the extension of Interstate 70 near Vail, Colorado. He retired in 1998, after 31 years with the department. He also served as Secretary of the Colorado Transportation Commission.
