Rita Chappelle

Rita Chappelle is a seasoned communications and public affairs executive whose career reflects both an unconventional path and a deep commitment to public service. She originally planned to pursue medicine and become a neurosurgeon, but changed direction after returning home to care for her mother following college. Her entry into media came unexpectedly when she joined This Week with David Brinkley and World News, becoming one of the first African American professionals to work on those programs. Early in her career, she was mentored by leading broadcast journalists including David Brinkley, Sam Donaldson, Peggy Whedon, and Max Robinson, who trained her in investigative reporting and storytelling. She went on to build a strong journalism foundation at The Washington Post, as well as through roles with the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett newspaper in Pittsburgh, and a weekend sports radio talk show.

Her career expanded into high-profile government communications and investigative media production. While working in Washington, D.C., she balanced journalism with public service communications under Mayor Marion Barry’s administration, where she gained firsthand experience in crisis communications during politically sensitive events. She was later recruited by America’s Most Wanted as an associate producer after an executive producer read her reporting. There, she developed case files for cold cases, including one that became a benchmark model for the production team. Over the course of her tenure from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, she worked on numerous cases and is credited with successfully resolving all assigned investigations, earning a strong reputation for precision, persistence, and analytical skill.

Rita later transitioned into federal leadership roles, continuing to break barriers in communications. At the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, she became the first African American to lead communications for the Center for Drugs at the national level, overseeing public affairs operations across the country and internationally. In this role, she directed communications for major drug approvals, safety alerts, and high-profile recalls, including pediatric medication dosing concerns, smoking cessation therapies, and other significant public health issues. She subsequently served as Regional Communications Director for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Region 2, covering New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Today, she serves as Chief of External & Congressional Affairs, Outreach and Media for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she helps Veterans navigate complex systems to access benefits and care, while leading strategic communications that support more than 77,000 Veterans and the broader mission of public service.