Rita Meyer
From dental assistant to United States Air Force Colonel, Rita Meyer serves as an outstanding example of where you can go if you have the passion to get there.
Born in Nebraska, Meyer has always been interested in the military. Her father had served in World War II and she hoped to follow in his footsteps. But at that time there weren’t great opportunities for women who served and her father didn’t feel she should join, so Meyer chose not to enlist.
Hoping to attend college, but knowing that she didn’t have the money to pay for the ACT, Meyer instead attended dental tech school at Creighton, where she met her husband, Charlie Meyer. The two were married and moved to Wyoming, Charlie’s home state, in 1977 where he began practicing as a dentist and she as a technician.
The two soon had a son, Charlie, and in 1984 as Charlie entered kindergarten, Meyer fulfilled her dream of serving in the military by enlisting in the National Guard. Not a typical move for a mom with a kid, especially at that time, but Rita will tell you that the decision to enlist was possible because of the support she had at home. A supportive husband meant that she was able to travel as needed, including on overseas missions.
Rita made huge strides in the military while also making strides in furthering her education. She went on to attain her bachelor’s as a first generation college graduate, receiving her education degree in 1982 and a finance degree in 1989. She also went on to earn her MBA in International Business from Regis and her Master’s in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in D.C.
Meyer says her growth and achievements in life were a bit different than most. She took her experience at tech school and built on it. She created opportunities for herself and pursued them with diligence and passion. That diligence paid off. Her accomplishments seem endless. She has worked her way up the ranks and received multiple honors such as the Meritorious Service Medal as well as the Legion of Merit, to name a few.
When asked whether being a woman was an issue in her career and success, Meyer will tell you, for her, it wasn’t. “Maybe I was blind, but I was always able to hold my own at the table.” Rita never felt overlooked because she was female, but she also constantly sought out new opportunities to prove herself.
And prove herself she has. She is not only a retired Colonel, but also served as State Auditor, has served on multiple boards including her current position on the University of Wyoming Foundation Board, and recently took on the role of Vice President of Rocky Mountain Power.
Rita Meyer is an outstanding example of a woman who has blazed the trails for others in Wyoming and is quick to recognize the potential of one of Wyoming’s greatest resources: its people; in particular, its women. “When you get women around the table you sit at a different vantage point. It’s not better or worse, but it is more balanced.”
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