Lori Downes is an Industry Operations Specialist (IOI) and works at ATF’s Federal Firearms Licensing Center. She analyzes and tests database functionality for multiple applications for the IT Enterprise Modernization migration.

She is motivated by some of the amazing women that she works with every day. According to Downes, she is uplifted by their strength, professionalism, dedication and caring.

Downes also believes society needs to celebrate women every day and not just once a year during Women’s History Month.

She encourages women to understand that they will struggle, but not always because they are women. Downes reminds us that “struggle is part of life, and everyone experiences struggles.” She encourages young women to “embrace every obstacle as a learning experience and share that knowledge with others.”