Summers Hammel
Senior Consultant
Author’s Note
Good leadership is easy to spot but hard to define. Popular idioms point to leadership as influence, or hope, or the ability to translate vision into reality. Some leaders are characterized by charisma, others by quiet acts of service. Bernice (Bee) Martin Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Epilepsy Foundation, is all of these things and more.
This month offers a vivid reminder of that truth. Bee and her team at the Epilepsy Foundation have been especially busy during Epilepsy Awareness Month—ringing the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange, elevating stories of the one in 26 who live with epilepsy, and championing awareness efforts across the nation. Their work underscores the Foundation’s impact and the power of mission-driven leadership in action.
Benefactor Group is proud to work with leaders of all styles and backgrounds. Through this interview series, we have asked a number of our partners, past and present, to share their personal leadership philosophies, career journeys, and experiences working in partnership with Benefactor Group. We found each conversation illuminating—and have shared their varied accomplishments, trials, and lessons learned below.
In this installment of Uncommon Leaders, Bee shares her personal approach to leading an organization through change and expansion. She reflects on how her philosophy shaped the Foundation’s work with Benefactor Group—spanning capacity building, executive search, and strategic planning—and how those experiences reinforced the importance of thoughtful, mission-driven leadership. Discover insights from a leader who balances strategic thinking with compassion and learn how her approach continues to drive impact for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Watch the video to hear more about Bee, how she empowers people, fosters collaboration, and turns vision into meaningful action.
About Bernice (Bee) Martin Lee
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.
If you’re ready to start growing with Benefactor Group, contact us today.
