LORI DIMARCO: BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING FUTURES

LORI DIMARCO: BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING FUTURES

Lori

As the first woman admitted to Aviation High School in New York City, Lori Dimarco knows a thing or two about being the only one in the room. Now Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Mesa Airlines, Dimarco has carved out a decades-long career in aviation maintenance.

Starting with cleaning aircraft, to working in maintenance at JFK, and rising to a leadership role, Dimarco reflects on her journey, the importance of representation, and her passion for paying it forward.

“I was the first woman admitted to Aviation High School. In my freshman year, I was the only girl in the school with 2,700 guys.”

From mentoring students at her alma mater to cheering them on at the MRO Americas Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), she’s not just supporting the next generation, she’s showing them what’s possible. “They're competing against adults and they're high school students. So, I love to watch that. That they're enjoying themselves and learning as they go,” Lori said.

 

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The competition tests the skills and knowledge of aviation maintenance technicians and students. Around 90 teams compete in 27 hands-on maintenance events across six categories: commercial aviation, general aviation. military, repair and manufacturing, schools, and space.

Each team consists of five members tackling challenges that test real-world maintenance skills. Events include tasks like fuel nozzle replacements, avionics troubleshooting, and composite repairs. The competition is designed to simulate the high-pressure environment of aviation maintenance, emphasizing safety, precision, and teamwork.

The dedicated category for schools not only tests students’ skills with challenges similar to those faced by industry professionals, but also inspires them to pursue careers in aviation—just as Lori Dimarco did, paving the way for future generations to break barriers and keep climbing.

When reflecting on her career now, she added: “It's just about loving what you do. And I love what I do,”

 

3 MIN.