Oritta ‘Rita’ Essien served a combined 35-years as an Air Force intelligence officer and as a civilian intelligence analyst and Chief of Staff/Staff Director with the Defense Intelligence Agency. Rita joined DIA in 1996 as an Air Force Reserve intelligence officer serving in the Directorate for Intelligence and the Joint Staff/J2. She retired from the Air Force in 2006. Rita’s civilian DIA assignments were with J2, DI, the Directorate for Operations, and the Directorate for Mission Services. Rita retired from DIA civilian service in Dec 2020.
In retired life, Rita spends her time volunteering with various groups including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ®; Junior League of Washington, DC; and Top Ladies of Distinction – Haymarket/Gainesville. In addition to the DIA Alumni Association, Rita also serves on the boards of her neighborhood’s homeowner’s association and the Educational and Charitable Foundation ®. She also writes monthly columns for two neighborhood newsletters. Rita became a dedicated Pilates practitioner in retirement and can be found in her local studio most weekday mornings.
