Sister Rita Scott: “…she’s extremely knowledgeable of the operation of the entire plant.”

Maintenance manager Dave Eby says Sister Rita is a quick learner when she is faced with new technologies.

In September 1965 Rita Scott entered Mount Saint Joseph as a postulant and began her college courses at the Mount. Three years later she moved on to Brescia College for her junior and senior years and upon graduation began a 20-year career in education – one year at Saint Bridget in Vine Grove (4th grade teacher), two years at Saint Paul in Leitchfield (5-8 grades), one year at Mother of Good Counsel in Louisville (4-5 grades), eight years at Saint Teresa in Glennonville, Missouri (4-8 grades, teacher and principal the last five years), two years at Saint Andrew in Harrodsburg (5-6 grades, teacher and principal), one year at SaintJoseph in Bowling Green (5-8 grade, teacher), four years at Blessed Mother in Owensboro (principal), and one year at Saint Angela Merici in Owensboro (principal), following the consolidation of Owensboro catholic grade schools. Along the way she earned her master’s degree from Saint Louis University and her principalship certificate from Spalding University in Louisville.

Sister Rita “stepped away” from education in 1990 to become the associate business administrator at the Mount, a position she held until taking the plant administrator job five years ago, heading a staff of 13, eight in the maintenance department, five on the farm staff.

After the renovation of the chapel and the main dining room, Sister Rita moved on to supervise the renovation of the Guest House in 1994.

Local community life coordinator Sister Lois Lindle says her longtime friend is “generous, cheerful, patient, and dependable.”

The Conference and Retreat Center was renovated from 1996-1998. “I didn’t start out leading that project,” says Sister Rita, “but the Leadership asked me to take it over and I finished it.” She continued, “A committee was formed to study our infirmary building (Lourdes) and the community agreed to build Saint Joseph Villa and renovate Saint Ursula Hall. I was project manager for those two projects.”

Many other projects have occurred – the parking lot south of Saint Angela Hall, the new sewage treatment plant, the demolition of Maple Hall and the old water tower, construction of the parking lot on the Maple Hall site, the new cemetery road. Rewiring, plumbing projects and a host of other little things keep Sister Rita busy, leaving her little time to keep up with the long list of other duties listed on her job description – to name a few: maintain warranty records, perform budgetary and invoicing responsibilities, oversee the campus telephone operations and voice mail system, keep up to date on all government regulations, maintain the fire alarm system and equipment, and coordinate burial activities associated with the cemetery.

Sister Rita’s supervisor is staff administrator Christine Clayton. “The scope of Sister Rita’s job touches everyone here at the Mount,” Christine says. “She managers her staff in a way that allows them to work to the best of their ability and her knowledge about everything on campus is unmatched. Sister Rita is very easy to work with, and I appreciate all she has done to get me up to speed in my new position.”

Sister Rita’s staff consists of maintenance manager Dave Eby and maintenance staff members Daniel Casey, David Mehlbauer, James Spence, Paul Clouse, Charlie Estes, Rick Blandford and John Teets. Also farm manager Bruce Blandford and farm staff members Mark Blandford, Mike Stelmach, Nick Dant, and Bryan Dant.