Olivia Rovang
Email: olivia@visitmcminnville.com
Title: Destination Development Coordinator
Organization: Visit McMinnville
Community: McMinnville
Population: 34,666
County Served: Yamhill County
Meet Olivia Rovang:
Olivia Rovang is a dedicated professional with a background rooted in sustainable food systems and community development. Over the past five years in Prescott, AZ, Olivia pursued undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sustainable Food Systems from Prescott College, delving into coursework on agroecology, sustainable community development, food justice, and value chain assessment. During her academic journey, Olivia gained valuable customer service experience as a barista, fostering connections within her community through the lens of hospitality.
Beyond her work, Olivia is an avid nature enthusiast, often found exploring nearby hiking trails, immersing herself in the beauty of the outdoors, observing birds, and admiring interesting moss formations. Her interests extend to reading, crafting, enjoying live music, and practicing yoga.
Community and Organization:
Olivia serves as the Destination Development Coordinator at Visit McMinnville, a nonprofit marketing organization with a visionary mission: to cultivate the visitor economy in McMinnville, thereby enhancing the quality of life for the community. This vision is realized through a commitment to core values that includes fostering collaborative partnerships, embracing innovation, transparency, inclusivity, and equity, as well as honoring the local community.
Situated in the heart of Oregon’s renowned Willamette Valley, McMinnville occupies native Kalapuya land and stands as a beacon in Oregon wine country, attracting visitors from across the globe. The city is particularly known for its exquisite pinot noir, vibrant main street, and charming ambiance.
Projects:
Olivia is actively involved in a transformative project to establish an Arts Center Community Hub in McMinnville. Her responsibilities include program development, coordination with community partners such as the McMinnville Downtown Association, the City of McMinnville, Hello McMinnville, local art organizations, and the McMinnville School District. She works closely with Visit McMinnville’s communications team to raise awareness of the program, identifies and coordinates muralists, researches local codes and ordinances for program success, explores applicable grants for funding, and manages any contractors hired for the project.
Olivia’s role extends to project management for the revitalization of a central downtown alleyway, fostering a collaborative effort to beautify this communal space. She also plays a crucial role in programming Visit McMinnville’s warehouse space within the alleyway, transforming it into a hub for local arts and culture. This project aligns with Visit McMinnville’s mission to enrich the community and promote inclusivity and equity.
By August 2024, Olivia aims to have a well-defined plan for the Artist Alley and Community Art Space by securing partners and ensuring community-wide awareness of the program. Implementation of art installations and improvements is anticipated to commence in Spring/Summer 2024.