Bernice Martin Lee, CEO

Image

Bernice “Bee” Martin Lee assumed the pivotal role of CEO at the Epilepsy Foundation in July of 2023, bringing with her 25-years of experience in the nonprofit management and the healthcare sector. With a wealth of experience, she ensures that the Foundation, in tandem with its affiliated partnerships, consistently upholds its commitment to elevating the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by epilepsy. Under her visionary leadership, the organizational models and network partnerships have undergone transformative enhancements, setting a new standard for excellence in service.

Before stepping into her current role, Bee distinguished herself as the senior philanthropy advisor at OhioHealth, the preeminent healthcare system in Central Ohio. During her tenure, she led the charge in fundraising for the groundbreaking $400 million Grant Medical Center Transformation Project in downtown Columbus. Bee also led a team of philanthropy advisors, extending support to care sites and service lines across the expansive OhioHealth footprint.

Preceding her time at OhioHealth, Bee held the position of senior director of development at the Department of Internal Medicine and its divisions at the Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center. Notably, her contributions include securing a monumental $3.4 million cash gift from an individual donor, instrumental in sustaining lupus research during the challenging times of the pandemic. Throughout her career, Bee has demonstrated expertise in securing major gifts, propelling growth through strategic program development, fostering stakeholder engagement, and building collations to instigate progress and drive impact.

As a woman of color living with epilepsy, Bee passionately champions health equity and social impact. In the inspiring words of Kavita Ramdas, "We need women who are so strong they can be gentle, so educated they can be humble, so fierce they can be compassionate, so passionate they can be rational, and so disciplined they can be free." Bee embodies these qualities as a fierce, compassionate and strategic woman, living with epilepsy and making a mark on the landscape of patient advocacy and healthcare leadership.