Leonel Marines - Leading with Purpose in Community and Care

Based in Bradenton, Florida, Leonel Marines has led a dynamic career defined by service to the people of his community. He has worked as a director at a nonprofit, a police officer, a substitute teacher, and a volunteer at education-related organizations. Leonel Marines truly enjoys serving people in need and finds fulfillment in seeing those that he has helped living better lives.

Currently, Mr. Marines is the executive director of Epilepsy Services of Southwest Florida, which provides essential diagnosis and treatment programs to support people with the disease. There, he leads strategic initiatives, oversees finances, and develops staff. He further supervises fundraising, ensures regulatory compliance, and provides quarterly reports on the organization’s performance to its board of directors. His leadership emphasizes operational excellence and client-centered service.

Prior to Epilepsy Services, Mr. Marines spent over a decade in law enforcement, culminating in a role as patrol sergeant. He supervised officers, did performance evaluations, managed shift operations, and coordinated major investigations. He later broadened his experience through roles in education such as serving as a substitute teacher.

Leonel Marines has a JD from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. Outside of work, Mr. Marines volunteers teaching English as a second language (ESL) at Project Light. He is also a scholarship-review volunteer at Community Foundation of Sarasota County. In his leisure time, he enjoys sports and is a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers and the Florida State Seminoles.