Renee Roederer

Renee Roederer serves the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan as our Sr. Director of Programs and Community Care. In this role, she oversees the Program Department and implements our educational events and community initiatives. As she connects with individuals and families, she provides educational information, resources, referrals, companionship, and support. Renée grew up with a childhood epilepsy syndrome, and she brings that direct lived-experience to her work at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.

Renee has a deep passion for community formation and believes that we experience support and resilience when we are connected to one another in community. For this reason, she takes great joy in building relationships and connecting people to one another. She is also a skilled listener, having years of experience serving as a Chaplain in both community and hospital settings. She loves to work with people of all ages, and in particular, she has many years of experience working with young adults.

Renee lives in Ann Arbor. She enjoys choral singing, hiking, and traveling, and she’s an avid writer. One of her greatest joys in life is the large, chosen family she has built over time, with whom she enjoys keeping in touch, laughing hard, and reflecting on life.

“In this work, I want people with epilepsy to know that they are not alone. It’s important that we accompany one another into the recognition that we are all worthwhile, valuable, and empowered to live a meaningful life. Epilepsy is often misunderstood, and people face so much stigma in their experience. Likewise, that stigma is easily internalized. But there is no reason to be ashamed. As we reflect this conviction toward one another, we build connections of hope, encouragement, and support.”