Ms. Downs began her VA career in June 2001 as a Veterans Service Representative (VSR) with the Cleveland Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional Office. She served from 2006-08 at VBA VA Central Office as an Operations Analyst and Chief of Program Operations with Compensation Service, and from 2008-13 with the Pittsburgh VBA Regional Office as a Supervisory VSR. She joined VAPHS in 2013 as the Executive Assistant to the Associate Director.

She is a graduate of VHA’s Healthcare Leadership Development Program and VBA’s Leadership Enhancement and Development Program and Leadership Development Program. Ms. Downs is a certified black belt in Lean Six Sigma and has a Bachelor of Arts in English and communications from John Carroll University.