Chamber honors Rita Meyer during Tuesday luncheon
Oct. 17—CHEYENNE — From a small town in northeast Nebraska, riding her horse to school, to dentistry and then a career in the military, to a stint in politics and then working in the energy industry, it seems that Rita Meyer has done it all.
On Tuesday, she was honored by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and inducted into its Circle of Champions. This honor recognizes those who have contributed to the Cheyenne community and helped businesses grow.
"It's a really great opportunity to shine, not on me, but on people in the community that are doing good work to enhance and build the community of Cheyenne," Meyer said of her induction.
She credits much of her success to education, and it is one issue that she has been passionate about throughout her career.
Growing up, Meyer said her parents always struggled to feed their family of seven, and that it's difficult for kids growing up in poverty to develop social skills.
"Poor kids are some of the most overlooked in communities," Meyer said.
She didn't go to college right after graduation, but not because she wasn't an academic. She said she didn't even know how to apply, and she didn't have the resources to submit applications, even if she had known.
"So, it was a really bare bones existence for our family. There was no safety net, like there are today for families, particularly in rural America. And it's why I'm such a champion of education," she said during a conversation with Laramie County Community College President Joe Schaffer.
"I'm such a champion of feeding children. In schools, I'm not afraid that we might feed one child whose family has the means to pay but doesn't pay. Children can't learn if their brains are not fed."
Eventually, she started at a technical school, where she studied dental assisting. Her mother paid $12 a month for tuition and uniforms, which Meyer said was a real sacrifice for her.
Meyer then met her husband and moved to Wyoming and continued a career in dentistry. It was later than most when Meyer joined the military. Her son was already around kindergarten age, but it was something she had always wanted to do. She spent the next 23 years serving her country.
After retiring from a military career in 2007, Meyer pursued a political post. She became the state auditor, serving one four-year term. After she stepped down in 2011 to run an ultimately unsuccessful Republican campaign for governor against Matt Mead, she began working in the energy sector for Rocky Mountain Power.
Along with being a champion of education in rural communities, Meyer is also passionate about young people becoming involved in politics.
"It's one thing I really worry about is that we are just, by the acrimonious environment that exists around running for office, that truly a whole generation of young folks aren't going to step up and run for office," she said. "I think that really hurts Wyoming, and it hurts the nation. And if there's one thing I worry about our state, it's leadership."
Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.
