Rita has served as the Chancel Choir Director since 1993, bringing a lifelong passion for music that began when she first sang in a church choir at age 10. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Murray State University and spent ten years as a band director in the Westfall School District. As a clarinet player, she also played in the Pickaway Winds woodwind quintet for five years. After leaving teaching in 1986, Rita earned a Master of Arts degree in Student Personnel from The Ohio State University and has since built a career in the student financial aid department, serving as an Associate Director at OSU. She and her husband, Doyle, live in Circleville and have two daughters, Erin, the church’s Bell Choir Director, and Sarah, a stage actor in New York City.