TEXTILES.ORG
If serendipity is the spot where preparation meets opportunity, then Donielle Lorelli knows how to leverage these opportunities for success.
“I feel like I lucked into being a part of the textile industry,” says Lorelli, product manager, textiles, for National Industries for the Blind (NIB). “I enjoy the various reactions that I get when I tell people my job is to find textile manufacturing work for people who are blind.”
Limited vision or blindness can affect people of all ages. Some people are born blind, while others lose some or all of their sight from an injury or disease. Other people lose their vision due to medical conditions, such as macular degeneration. “At NIB, we know that blindness doesn’t have to be a barrier to employment,” Lorelli says. “NIB has a team of fantastic productivity and development engineers who create jigs and other accommodations for various labor steps to be done in nontraditional, blind-friendly ways.”
As the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, NIB is one of two central nonprofit agencies for the AbilityOne Program. This program harnesses the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from more than 420 nonprofit agencies nationwide that train and employ people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
NIB, which recently celebrated its 86th anniversary, partners with nearly 100 associated nonprofit agencies nationwide who employ people who are blind, have low vision or are visually impaired. Approximately 30 of these nonprofits include cut-and-sew facilities that produce complex items for the U.S. military, from rucksacks and neckerchiefs to coveralls and combat uniforms.
“NIB creates so many meaningful career opportunities,” Lorelli says. “It’s phenomenal to feel the energy and pride these amazing people take in their work.”
Transition to textiles
Lorelli’s work in the textile industry is a dramatic departure from her original career path. She worked for a defense contractor after graduating from high school in 2007. “I was fortunate enough to work my way up from being a summer intern to an assistant financial analyst before I turned 21 years old,” says Lorelli, a self-described “Navy brat” who grew up in San Diego, Calif.
While her career thrived, life changed about nine months after her son was born. Lorelli’s husband, Joe, then an active-duty Marine, received orders to report to Indian Head, Md. “After we moved, I had tough luck finding a job that could challenge me the way I craved,” she says.
One day, Lorelli took her son to a playdate group. She started chatting with another mother, who told her about a job at NIB. Lorelli landed a job in product development support. Within two and a half years, an internal job opportunity became available on NIB’s Textile Product Development team. Lorelli’s colleagues encouraged her to apply. “Up to that point, my experience with textiles and sewing was limited to threading a needle and hemming skirts or pants,” she says. “Fortunately for me, a textile background was not required.”
She spent the first couple of years in her new role handling administrative tasks but quickly learned she wanted to be where the action was. Her can-do attitude and willingness to learn paid off.
“When the opportunity came up in 2018 to become the senior specialist for product development in textiles, I was thrilled,” Lorelli says. “I was looking for new challenges. NIB provides opportunities for its employees to grow and be successful.”
Lorelli started traveling to various nonprofits that NIB works with, including one in Austin, Texas. Those employees make webbed trouser belts for the U.S. military with the assistance of a modified press that uses 3D printing. “Talk about inspiring!” Lorelli says.
Four steps to success
While Lorelli has thrived at NIB, she admits she was unsure at first about a career in textiles. “As someone with limited textile knowledge, I was nervous when I started in an industry that I thought was so technical,” Lorelli says. “But I have met some truly fantastic people who have helped me along the way.”
During her journey, Lorelli has embraced four tips for success.
• Collaborate with colleagues. Saying “yes” to opportunities has opened up many leadership roles for Lorelli within NIB and beyond. She helps organize the annual NIB/SourceAmerica Textile Apparel Group Conference. The 2024 event attracted more than 200 attendees from nonprofits, government customers and commercial industry partners.
In addition, Lorelli joined the Military Division board of the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) in October 2023. She appreciates that Amy Bircher Bruyn (CEO/founder of MMI Textiles and ATA immediate past chairman) and Will Cromer (senior sales executive at MMI Textiles and vice chairman of ATA’s military division) reached out to her.
“They thought I could bring a different perspective and fresh ideas to the group,” says Lorelli, who enjoys sharing information about AbilityOne/NIB and finding ways to enhance the U.S. textile industry. “Given my familiarity with the military, I’ve also been able to contribute some ideas for ways to hire more veterans in the industry.”
• Find a mentor and become a mentor. A mentor can range from a CEO to an entry-level employee. Look for opportunities to have multiple mentors, she says. Mentoring doesn’t require a formal program, just a willingness to reach out and start the conversation. “It helps so much to talk things through with other people,” Lorelli says. “You can learn something from everyone, and when facing a complex situation, hearing varied perspectives can help you find the best solution.”
• Advocate for yourself. When she and her family wanted to pursue a longtime dream of traveling the country in a recreational vehicle, she proposed a novel work-from-home option to her NIB colleagues. “I asked for more flexibility with my work schedule,” says Lorelli, who is grateful that her boss has a “family first” philosophy. “This allowed us to spend 14 months on the road with our son before settling in Florida.”
• Keep learning and stay humble. A nontraditional student, Lorelli earned her associate’s degree in business management in 2018 and is currently working on her bachelor’s degree. When she was asked to participate in a Women in Textiles panel in Charleston, S.C., a few years ago at an ATA event, she was hesitant to share this part of her life. She did it anyway. “I had a woman come up to me after the discussion and thank me,” she says.
Every time Lorelli connects with industry colleagues or tours one of the many cut-and-sew facilities that NIB supports, she’s reminded of why she loves working in the textile industry. “It’s such an honor to support two missions: NIB and the American war fighter. It’s great to be part of something bigger than myself.”
Darcy Maulsby is a freelance writer based in Lake City, Iowa.
Photography by Julia Romee
SIDEBAR: Development of a fuel-handler’s suit
The right protective gear makes all the difference for U.S. military personnel. A significant amount of this gear is made by people who are blind or have visual impairments, thanks to National Industries for the Blind (NIB). In the past five years, employees who work at NIB’s associated nonprofit agencies (NPAs) have supplied more than 1 million articles of military clothing and equipment annually.
One of NIB’s largest customers is the Defense Logistics Agency, which manages the global defense supply chain for all military branches. “One of the coolest things our NPAs make is a fuel-handler’s suit,” says Donielle Lorelli, product manager, textiles, for NIB. “It’s also one of the most complex.”
This two-piece garment is designed to protect U.S. Army fuel handlers from flash fires and chemical exposure during fueling and ammunition operations. Each includes more than 300 individual labor steps and is made using high-performance GORE-TEX fabrics.
These fuel-handler suits, which are manufactured in North Carolina and Puerto Rico, are the product of AbilityOne’s manufacturing and development program. “This gives the Army the opportunity to test new garments and refine them,” Lorelli says.
The fuel-handler suit started as a coverall, but users didn’t like the fit. To solve this challenge, NIB partnered with associated agency IFB Solutions in North Carolina. “This fuel-handler’s suit proves that people who are blind are capable of so much,” Lorelli says.
Q&A: There’s a lot of talk about the value of networking, but what does this look like in the real world?
Maybe you don’t know anyone at a conference. Perhaps you’re tired and feel more inclined to retreat to your room when the meetings are done. Challenge yourself to attend a networking event before calling it a day. Networking has been the key to building my confidence and growing my career. It’s not just who you know but who can help you. Who will mention your name in a good way? I quickly learned how kind people are in this industry and how many people are willing to help you and support you.