Rita is a Grants Specialist with Howard County Library System in Maryland. She also belongs to several non-profits in Howard County, including the Howard County Garden Club, serves on the board of the Howard County Historical Society, and acts as a liaison for the Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System.

In past years, she was Project Coordinator for EC250, Inc., and was also a previous volunteer for the Howard County Conservancy.

Having lived in Howard County for 50 years, Rita has deep connections, and the grants she has written have funded many of the Library's educational initiatives, including Project Literacy,  Career Pathways for Skilled Immigrants, HiTech STEM Education for Teens, and mobile units On the Road to Kindergarten.