Tom Drenthe, the director of the Main Street Cultural District, stepped down Dec. 3 to make room for Ames resident Cari Hague.

The Cultural District was established in January 2004 as an organization that helps promote downtown business. They started with the hope of making Main Street the “heart of the Ames community” according to the Main Street Cultural District’s website.

It is the cultural board’s hope to continue with the advancement of Main Street. The board believes it will be able to do that with its new executive director.

After graduating from Iowa State in 2003, Hague moved to Phoenix, where she opened her own business that provided digital services to photographers in the area.

But because Ames had made such a great impact on her, Hague and her husband decided to move back to Ames in 2007 when their first child was 9 months old.

“We decided to move back to Ames because I remember how safe it was when I was going to college here,” Hague said. “It is such an awesome place to raise children. … It is such a great community.”

After moving back to Ames, Hague immediately got involved with the Main Street Cultural District, including several volunteer positions for the community.

Among those positions are the chairwoman of the Cultural District Business Improvement Committee and the chairwoman of the Entertainment Committee for the Mary Greeley Medical Center Foundation for 2011 and 2012.

As director of the Cultural District, Hague will be the overseer of the district’s daily operations as well as working with the cultural district and its committees and volunteers. She will be the primary public relations contact while managing the cultural district’s event director and interns.

Because of her experience with Main Street and with small businesses, Terry Stark, the incoming 2013 president of the Cultural District board, said he thinks Hague is completely ready for the job.

“Cari is familiar with the Main Street Cultural District’s role with the Main Street Iowa program and brings a business, retail and volunteer mentality to the position that will serve us well,” Stark said.

Her business background really shows when Hague is discussing her long-term goals for Ames’ Main Street and its businesses.

“Personally, I would love to see Main Street to become a great boutique where Ames’ residents can go shopping and out to eat.” Hague said, “I would love for it to become a total experience for our residents.”

Hague said she is excited and a little nervous as for her new position, starting Tuesday.

“It will be my first meeting with the Cultural District board after Tom resigned,” Hague said. “The board has warmly welcomed me, and I’m excited to lead us through the development of Main Street.”