Rita is a retired financial planner and chartered accountant. Her introduction to Rotary came in 1996 when she was selected to be part of a life‑changing four‑week Group Study Exchange to Texas, USA.
Little did Rita know that this opportunity would change her life, after she returned home with a new fire in her belly. It gave her the confidence to quit her job, and at the age of 28 start her first business, Rybarz Zappulla Chartered Accountant. She was so grateful to Rotary for this experience that Rita joined the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise in June that year – beginning over 18 years of service as a Rotarian.
She served as the first female President of the Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise in 2001–02. Rita was the Group 2 Area Governor/Rotary Community Leader 2023-2025 and continues to champion Rotary’s work across the area.
Rita is honoured to serve as District Governor of Rotary International District 9560, supporting 80 Rotary and 12 Rotaract clubs and their more than 1800 members, across Queensland, Northern Territory and Timor-Leste.
During her year as Governor, Rita and her husband Brien Leibinger hope to visit most of the clubs in the district, which encompasses Maryborough in the South to Bamaga in the North and Darwin to the West, as well as Timor-Leste, an area some 2.1 million square kilometres. They look forward to being part of the major projects and milestones in the district throughout the year.
What Rita most loves about Rotary is the same as what she most loved about being a small business owner for 20 years – helping, connecting and mentoring people, and encouraging everyone within the Rotary community and district to do their best, so that together great things can be achieved both locally and globally.
With Rita being the Project Manager for the Friends of Himalayan Children RAWCS Project in Nepal, it was an obvious choice for it to become Brien and Rita’s partner project for the 2026-2027 Rotary year. They hope to raise $80,000 towards the RAWCS goal of $400,000, to help extend the schooling for grade 10 to 12 students in this remote village of Batase and build better accommodation for the teachers.
District Governor 2025-2026
Rotary Club of Cairns Sunrise
dg@rotary9560.org
In partnership with FHC, we want to build a new student and teacher hostel beside Batase School, helping to remove major barriers to education in this remote region.
Many children currently walk two to three hours each way to attend school. This demanding daily journey often leads to fatigue, irregular attendance, or early withdrawal from education. Safe accommodation near the school will allow students from surrounding villages to attend regularly, rest properly, and focus on learning.
The hostel will also provide comfortable housing for teachers. Quality accommodation is essential to attracting and retaining skilled educators willing to work in a remote setting. With improved facilities, the school can strengthen its teaching staff and enhance educational outcomes.
By expanding access for both students and teachers, this project will enable Batase School to serve as a central education hub, ensuring distance and geography no longer limit a child’s future.
