Rita Jo Tensly is the Immediate Past President of the JGS of Colorado. She was a charter member of the Society which started in 1995, and she has been an active member since. In 2010, Rita was awarded one of five "Pillar of the Society" awards for her ongoing contributions to JGSCO. Ms. Tensly first became interested in tracing her family while attending Jewish genealogy sessions sponsored by the Denver Public Library prior to the start of the JGS of Colorado. Ms. Tensly  has served as Treasurer and Secretary, and she was President for two years.

For the past six years, Ms. Tensly has volunteered on the project to create an online surname index to the JCRS patient application records housed in the Beck Archives of the Penrose Library at the University of Denver.

Ms. Tensly attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City and received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She also received a Master of Arts degree in Music from the University of Denver. Rita taught music in the Denver Public Schools until she retired.

Ms. Tensly lives in Denver. She has a daughter, a son and two grandsons.

Her family roots are in Ukraine, Russia-Poland, England and Portugal. She continues to find relevant information in her search for her roots.