Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President
Organizational Strategy, Operations, Governance, Revenue Development
Oakland University
Brandon Lee is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at United Way for Southeastern Michigan. He joined the organization in August of 2013 as an AmeriCorps VISTA. In his current role, Brandon oversees a broad portfolio of work, including the Community Impact & Strategy and Transformation Departments.
In 2023, Brandon spearheaded the successful merger of United Way for Southeastern Michigan with United Way of Washtenaw County, increasing United Way's impact and outreach to encompass all four counties in Southeastern Michigan: Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne. In 2020, Brandon played a pivotal role in developing and managing United Way's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, raising over $37 million to support the region. On multiple occasions, Brandon has partnered closely with Board leadership to develop enterprise strategic plans. He was part of the leadership team at United Way who earned the title of Crain's Detroit Business 2021 Best Managed Nonprofit.
Brandon has over ten years of experience in the nonprofit field. Shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree, he founded a 501(c)(3) organization focused on college access, preparation, and retention for youth in Detroit. He then transitioned to his first role with United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and spent four years on the education team, including 18 months supporting the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren as a project manager to develop the “Choice is Ours Report” and the subsequent efforts to pass legislation to reset the local educational landscape.
An alumnus of Oakland University, Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in political science. In 2019, he earned Oakland University’s 10 Within 10 Award recognizing professional excellence of young alumni. in 2021, Brandon served as a mentor in Leadership OU, Oakland University’s alumni and undergraduate mentoring program.
Brandon is a graduate of United Way Worldwide’s Advanced Leadership Program. In this program, he joined a select cohort of 17 other executive leaders from around the world for a yearlong intensive training program to develop and prepare future leaders of the United Way Worldwide network.
Brandon proudly serves as vice chair for Developing K.I.D.S., a youth development organization in Detroit. Serving on the board since 2019, Brandon has led multiple committees focused on organizational strategy and growth. Brandon also has a leadership role on the board of directors of Michigan Association of United Ways, serving as their Vice Chair.
Brandon is a Detroit Tigers season ticket holder. In his free time enjoys traveling — especially road trips, as well as golfing, reading, and spending time with friends and family.