Rita takes up advertising

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 237, 29 March 1988, Page 4

Rita takes up advertising

Well-known Waim a rino s c h o o 1 teacher Rita Wise has joined the staff of Ruapehu Publishers Ltd. She will be responsible for advertising saies in the Waimarino Bulletin and some of its sister publications including a skiing newspaper called Ruapehu [ '88 and a colour promotional brochure for Ohakune and Raetihi. Rita, 35, joins the company from April 5 after a few weeks of saies training in Taupo. Until last week she had taught at various local schools over a period of 20 years. She says the career change follows a holiday job over summer selling timeshare at Taupo, an experience that caused her to reevaluate her personal goals. "I found selling exciting and challenging and I enjoyed dealing with adults after so many years with children," she says. Although she loved teaching and was popular with staff, pupils and parents, she says it was time for a change and she has taken an opportunity to learn and develop new skills with a progressive company still based in the district she enjoys. In due course Rita's duties will include a good deal of travel rep-

resenting the company's national Adventure magazine. The mother of two young boys, Scott aged 13 and Todd aged 11, she has strong family ties in the Waimarino. She was born and raised at Raetihi and her father Mr Allen Todd and brother Ian have a 1000-acre farm in the Orautoha Valley. Rita was educated at Orautoha School and Wanganui Girls College and spent 1968-69 at teachers training college. Her first teaching job was at Ohakune. She then took a position in Tokoroa and left teaching from 1974 to 1978 to raise a family. Since 1981 she has been back teaching in Ohakune. An accomplished mu-

sician who plays a number of instruments including piano, organ, guitar and ukulele, she lists art, photography and sport as her main interests. Something of an adventurer in her o w n right, Rita has tried and become proficient at numerous sports including water-skiing, skydiving, whitewater rafting, parasailing, squash, gymnastics, hot air ballooning and indoor basketball. She has played representative netball and softball for Wanganui. Her favourite sport is skiing and this year she intends to take up gliding and microlight flying. "Basically," she says, "I like anything with a challenge."