Sarah Oltrogge grew up in Clear Lake and has never left the state of Iowa, which, for her, has been a perfect situation. She studied journalism and public relations at Iowa State University, and began her career as a as a reporter at the Dallas County News, where covering city council meetings and civic issues sparked an interest in economic development issues. After a year as the public information officer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, Oltrogge joined the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and has spent the past six years working in public relations for the agency. Not only has her work created an interest in the arts and Iowa history, but it has also fueled a strong passion for the East Village. Oltrogge, 34, was recently appointed interim president of Historic East Village Inc. and sees even more improvements in store for the cultural, commercial and entertainment district.

Why did you choose to study journalism and public relations at Iowa State?

I actually started out with the hopes of being a veterinarian and took chemistry in my first semester. Although I did OK, I decided it was way too much work. My second semester, I took an intro to journalism class and it kind of fit with my interests. In high school, I had done some creative writing, and it seemed like this was a way I could incorporate creative writing into a real-world job.

What have you taken away from your experiences with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs?

It’s definitely given me greater insight into Iowa’s history and arts and cultural scene. It seems like we’re slow in coming around to this idea that the arts and culture are really vital to the economy of the community. It’s wonderful to see areas like the East Village and the Court Avenue district and cities like Sioux City where they’re building up these hubs. We’ve come to appreciate that more and value that part of our community more than we have in the past.

In the past, did you take much of an interest in arts and culture?

Not at all. I visited art museums and took art history in college, so I appreciated art. But as far as what I know now about what things like the Iowa Arts Council does to support artists, I had no idea.

How do you now engage yourself in the arts?

A couple of years ago, there was a woman who worked with me, and we started an art therapy program at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. She’s more the artist than I am, but I like to play around with it. I volunteer in the John Stoddard Cancer Center and work with patients. Neither of us have psychology backgrounds, so we’re not taking it to that level. But we do activities – paintings, listening to music, making cards – to get [patients’] minds off their situations.

Why is volunteering important to you?

I don’t think I’ve ever been the type of person who has ever been comfortable not having something to do. When I have time available to give, these are the things that I enjoy doing. And these are things I’m passionate about, so I don’t feel I’m wasting my time. Once I came into this position here and my hours became more regular, then it was a void I had to fill and I started seeking out these opportunities. There have been times, like with art therapy, that you just feel so good that you’re able to give your talents to something like that. It makes it all worth it.

What is the driving force behind your passion for the East Village?

My passion here comes from seeing the changes that have gone on. I remember that we would have events at the Historical Building at night and we’d have to rent lighting to light our entrances because people were afraid to come down here after dark. Then things started to change with the streetscape, and we had businesses coming in. There was a movement for a while where a group was working to save some of the buildings that the city was considering tearing down. That’s how Historic East Village Inc. was formed. Since then, we’ve added these unique buildings, shops and businesses and it’s really just taken off.

What’s your vision for the East Village?

I think once we have residents down here, it will really become a 24-hour district. We’re not going to shut down at 9 o’clock. Part of that is about supporting the retail establishments because they’re the livelihood of the East Village. It’s also about making sure the East Village maintains its uniqueness. We are concentrating our efforts right now on beautification improvements as well as safety issues. What my personal vision for this area is that as soon as you cross the river headed east, you know you’re in the East Village. You get that feeling in Valley Junction and on Court Avenue. We are really working to make this a community in a sense, which is why the name is so perfect.

What do you believe are the biggest needs for downtown Des Moines?

A grocery store is definitely one of the top needs because as you have more people living downtown, they’re going to want that convenience. But I think what we really need is to encourage the restaurants and bars to extend their hours into the evening as we get people living down here and people who want to come down here at any hour of the day.