About the State Historical Society

Main Lines

Des Moines Location

Line Phone Number
Phone/Information Desk 515.281.5111
Fax 515.282.0502 or 515.242.6498

Iowa City Location

Line Phone Number
Phone/Information Desk 319.335.3916
Fax 319.335.3935

Executive Director's Office

Name Position Phone Email
Mary Cownie Director, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs 515.281.7471 Mary.Cownie@iowa.gov
Chris Kramer Deputy Director, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs 515.281.3223 Chris.Kramer@iowa.gov
Jessica Rundlett Executive Assistant, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs 515.281.7471 Jessica.Rundlett@iowa.gov

Administration

Staff List

Name   Phone Email
Sarabeth Anderson Administrator, State Histocial Society of Iowa 515.281.4657 Sarabeth.Anderson@iowa.gov

State Curator

Name   Phone Email
Jerome Thompson State Curator, Historic Sites Coordinator 515.281.4221 Jerome.Thompson@iowa.gov

State Historical Society of Iowa

Name Position Phone Email
Joan Kiernan Membership 515.281.8741 Joan.Kiernan@iowa.gov

Business

Name Position Phone Email
Peri Kaplan Facility Rental & DCA Events Coordinator 515.281.3809 Peri.Kaplan@iowa.gov
Lisa Kent Development Coordinator & Grant Writer 515.281.8352 Lisa.Kent@iowa.gov
Joan Kiernan Receptionist 515.281.8741 Joan.Kiernan@iowa.gov
Dee Richards Accountant 515.281.6345 Dee.Richards@iowa.gov
Name Position Phone Email
Jessica Rundlett Executive Assistant 515.281.7471 HistoricalBuilding.Rental@iowa.gov

Public Relations

Name Position Phone Email
Jeff Morgan Media Relations, Project Management 515.281.3858 Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov
Sarah Oltrogge Graphic Design, Newsletters, Web Site Management 515.281.4011 Sarah.Oltrogge@iowa.gov

State Historical Society of Iowa Staff

Archives and Records

Name Position Phone Email
Jerome Thompson Interim State Archivist 515.281.4221 Jerome.Thompson@iowa.gov
Jeffrey Dawson Archives Supervisor 515.281.7801 Jeffrey.Dawson@iowa.gov
Sharon Avery Archivist 515.281.6863 Sharon.Avery@iowa.gov
Bruce Kreuger Archives Technician 515.281.4192 Bruce.Kreuger@iowa.gov
Mary Messinger Warehouse Operations Worker 515.321.0372 Mary.Messinger@iowa.gov

Grants

Name Position Phone Email
Paula Mohr CLG Program Coordinator  515.281.6826  Paula.Mohr@iowa.gov
Kristen Vander Molen HRDP, HSPG, Country Schools Grants 515.281.4228 Kristen.Vandermolen@iowa.gov

Historic Sites

American Gothic House
Name Position Phone Email
Jerome Thompson State Curator 515.281.4221 Jerome.Thompson@iowa.gov
Holly Berg Visitor Center Manager 641.652.3352 aghc@iowatelecom.net
Blood Run, Rock Rapids
Name Position Phone Email
Craig Van Otterloo Lyon County Conservation 712.472.2217 lyonccb@rconnet.com
Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop, Haverhill
Name Position Phone Email
Stephenie Stites Administrator, Marshall County Historical Society 641.752.6664 Marshallhistory@marshallnet.com
Plum Grove, Iowa City
Name Position Phone Email
Leigh Ann Jero Plum Grove Manager 319.351.5738 johctyhistscty@yahoo.com
Western Historic Trails Center
Name Position Phone Email
Dewey Brockmann Maintenance Worker 712.366.4900 Dewey.Brockmann@iowa.gov
Teressa Sward Museum Guide 712.366.4900 Teressa.Sward@iowa.gov
Montauk, Clermont
Name Position Phone Email
Wade Schott Site Manager 319.423.7173  montauk@acegroup.cc
Gardner Cabin, Arnolds Park
Name Position Phone Email
Mike Koppert Site Manager 712.332.7248  
Toolesboro Mounds, Toolesboro
Name Position Phone Email
Julie Ohde   Louisa County Conservation 319.523.8381 lccb@lccb.org

Library & Publications

Name Position Phone Email
Carol Kirsch Supervisor, Libraries and Special Collections (Des Moines and Iowa City) 319.335.3936 Carol-Kirsch@uiowa.edu

E-mail Reference Requests

Location Policy Email Address
Des Moines Center Go to Email Reference Policy dm.library@iowa.gov
Iowa City Center library-reference@uiowa.edu

Des Moines Library

Name Position Phone Email
Rosie Springer Library Associate - Reference 515.281.6200 Rosie.Springer@iowa.gov
Shari Stelling Librarian - Interlibrary Loan  515.281.5070 Shari.Stelling@iowa.gov

Iowa City Library

Name Position Phone Email
Carol Kirsch Librarian - Supervisor, Reference, Interlibrary Loan 319.335.3936  Carol-Kirsch@uiowa.edu
Paula Smith Librarian - Cataloger, Reference 319.335.1035  Paula-Smith@uiowa.edu
Reference Librarian Reference questions 319-335-3926 library-reference@uiowa.edu

Special Collections

Name Position Phone Email
Mary Bennett Special Collections Coordinator 319.335.3916 Mary-Bennett@uiowa.edu
Delpha Musgrave Local Gov't Records/Newspapers 515.281.5655 Delpha.Musgrave@iowa.gov
Becki Plunkett Special Collections Archivist 515.281.8976 Becki.Plunkett@iowa.gov
Charles Scott Special Collections Technician 319.335.3916 Charles-Scott@uiowa.edu

Publications

Name Position Phone Email
Marv Bergman Editor, Annals of Iowa 319.335.3931  Marvin-Bergman@uiowa.edu
Ginalie Swaim Editor, Iowa Heritage Illustrated 319.335.3932  Ginalie-Swaim@uiowa.edu

Museum & Museum Education

Name Position Phone Email
Susan Kloewer Museum Director 515.281.8749 Susan.Kloewer@iowa.gov
Jodi Evans Registrar 515.281.3295  Jodi.Evans@iowa.gov
Sheila Hanke Battle Flag Collection 515.281.8302 Sheila.Hanke@iowa.gov
Leo Landis Museum Curator 515.281.4006 Leo.Landis@iowa.gov
Pete Sixbey Conservator 515.281.4648  Pete.Sixbey@iowa.gov

Museum Education Programs

Name Position Phone Email
Sarah Macht Museum Education Coordinator 515.242.5193  Sarah.Macht@iowa.gov
Millie Frese Education and Outreach Manager 515.281.6860  Millie.Frese@iowa.gov
Jess Vogel Museum Education Coordinator 515.281.4132 Jess.Vogel@iowa.gov

State Historic Preservation Office

Name Position Phone Email
Sarabeth Anderson SHPO / Deputy SHPO 515.281.4657 Sarabeth.Anderson@iowa.gov
Berry Bennett Historic Sites Inventory Manager 515.281.8742 Berry.Bennett@iowa.gov
Ralph Christian Historian 515.281.8697  Ralph.Christian@iowa.gov
Beth Foster Hill National Register Coordinator
Federal/State Tax Credit Coordinator
515.281.4137  Beth.Foster@iowa.gov
Doug Jones Archaeologist 515.281.4358  Doug.Jones@iowa.gov
Dan Higginbottom Archaeologist 515.281.8744  Daniel.Higginbottom@iowa.gov
Don Hirt GIS Specialist 515.281.7803  Don.Hirt@iowa.gov
Kathy Gourley Cultural District Manager
Preservation Education Outreach
515.281.3989 Kathy.Gourley@iowa.gov
Paula Mohr CLG Program Coordinator
Architectural Historian
515.281.6826  Paula.Mohr@iowa.gov
Deb Pedersen Review & Compliance HUD Coordinator 515.281.6435 Debra.Pedersen@iowa.gov
Jack Porter Preservation Architect 515.242.6152 Jack.Porter@iowa.gov
June Strand Review and Compliance coordinator 515.281.8743 June.Strand@iowa.gov
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