Pia Hovenga

Pia Hovenga is the publisher of Viva Iowa!, a bi-monthly Spanish-language newspaper serving Franklin and Wright counties in rural Iowa.

Born and raised in Chile, Pia Hovenga completed her B.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Valparaíso in Chile. She moved to Fort Lauderdale in 2001, where she started her career as a graphic designer. She continued to grow and expand her portfolio while working in the headquarters of two national companies.

In 2012, Pia moved to a rural town in North Central Iowa and took a job at Mid-America Publishing, which owns and operates community newspapers in 17 counties across Iowa. At their headquarters in Hampton, she was the manager of the composition department. Pia has won numerous awards for her design work from the Iowa Newspaper Association.

Being a relatively new citizen, Pia saw the need for outreach to the growing Spanish-speaking community within her area, where the percentage of Hispanics increases every year. In October 2015, she started Viva Iowa! to bridge the gap of communication and to keep the community informed of important issues about immigration, changes of local laws and social services. She stays in close contact with city and school officials and serves as a liaison between the Spanish and English communities.

Currently, Pia is working towards her certification in translation and interpretation.