Educational Philosophy: "It is my goal to provide as many hands-on opportunities for students, who are learning in as many formats as I can present. I want to create an environment for each of them to be able to be their best and to produce their best work."

Rita has been teaching full time for five years. She thoroughly enjoys working with the Business and Accounting students. She teaches Management, Human Resources, Small Business Management, Sales, Retailing, Introduction to Business and anything else she is asked to cover. She also coordinates the Real Estate Pre-licensing program and the American Management Association program.

Prior to her faculty position, Rita worked in Workforce Development Services for Pueblo Community College. This position provided training and related services for the public and private sectors. She also consulted with her client companies to determine their human resource training and human performance needs. Some companies were assisted with Strategic Planning consulting services and Focus Group facilitation. Her other duties included coordinating the Real Estate training program and the American Management Association Certificate in Management Program. She also served as an adjunct instructor for PCC's Business Management & Accounting Department and taught Principles of Management, Principles of Marketing and Small Business Planning, which covered the writing of a business plan.

In 1994, the Director position of the Small Business Development Center at Pueblo Community College caught her eye and she and her family made the decision to move to Pueblo after being offered the position. The SBDC works with small business owners to assist them in improving their business and its growth. It offers one-on-one counseling, targeted training classes and other assistance as needed. Rita worked with over 1200 small business owners and assisted them with successfully applications for over $11,300,000 in business loans. She continued to teach part time as well.

Prior to her career with Pueblo Community College, Rita was an entrepreneur and opened a "Made in Colorado" gift and gift basket store called Colorado Peddler in downtown Denver’s Larimer Square. There were many things to learn about owning a business because entrepreneurship was a huge change from working in the corporate environment that she had always worked in!  About the same time, Rita was hired to teach a Retailing class for Parks Jr. College in Denver on a part time basis. She also taught Visual Merchandising, Introduction to Business, Advertising, Public Relations, Small Business Management, Supervision and Principles of Marketing over the years she taught at Parks. Prior to her own store, she spent over 20 years in the retail industry and managed fabric stores, craft stores and hotel gift stores for various corporations in the Denver area.

In addition to her work at Pueblo Community College, Rita has been active in several campus organizations.  She has served on the accreditation committees for the AQIP process on two different sections.  She has also served as the chair of College Assembly, which focuses on the shared governance of the college. She has also served on several Search and Screen Committees, Assessment of Student Learning Committee, the NCA History Committee and the 70th Birthday Committee.

Off campus, Rita also serves her adopted community as a Director on several Boards. She is on the Girl Scout Board for Columbine Council. To assist entrepreneurs, she serves on the El Pueblo Inter-Development Corporation and the Pueblo County Community Development Corporation revolving loan funds. In addition, she has served as a member of the Business and Economic Development (BEDEV) Task Force of the 2010 Commission and its sub committee to prioritize the tasks in the Human Investment Plan for Pueblo Area Council of Governments (PACOG) through the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce. She is a charter member of the Pueblo Technical Alliance hosted by the Latino Chamber. She is also a member of the Business Women’s Network and has served them as Vice-President and as an Advisory Board member.

Rita is the eldest of nine children, none of whom live in Pueblo. She has 24 nieces and nephews and 2 great-nephews and 2 great-nieces that are scattered around the country. With her husband, Mike they have a "furry" child named "Bonny" who is half chocolate lab and half Siberian husky.  Rita’s hobbies include cross-stitching, needlepoint, cycling and sailing (when there is enough water in the reservoir)!