Rita Garcia Ransdell '69

Rita Garcia Ransdell is a 1969 graduate of Ursuline Academy. She is the first of five children to Manuel and Evangeline Garcia. Rita was the first family member to graduate from college. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force from East Texas A&M University.

Rita’s career began as an HR Consultant for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. She left the Scouts for SMU Law School, then returned to HR with the City of Plano, and appointed as the city’s first ADA Compliance Officer. Rita later joined Children’s Medical Center as Director of Employee Relations. During this time, she was twice elected President of the DFW Healthcare Human Resources Association. After 10 years with Children’s, she left to become the first HR Vice President at the American Airlines Center. Throughout her 19 years at the AAC, Rita sat at the leadership table, implementing HR strategies that successfully withstood economic downturns, legislative mandates and a worldwide pandemic. She retired in 2022, but remains actively licensed.

In 2003, Rita and her husband Fred began a 4-year adventure with the Share Exchange Program. With SHARE, Rita and Fred hosted students from Ukraine, Russia, and Slovakia while the students attended high school in Richardson.

When the SHARE program ended, Rita volunteered as a bilingual minister with the Mother Teresa Ministry at Baylor Garland Medical Center. This continued until Baylor Garland closed its doors in 2018.

Rita’s ties to East Texas A&M run deep as she was a commencement speaker in 2018 and one of its Distinguished Alumni in 2022. Of all Rita’s accomplishments, she is proudest of the caregiver role she assumed in 2020 when her husband’s Parkinson Disease required more advanced care. Her beloved husband lost his battle with Parkinson Disease in 2023.