ATLANTA, Ga. — When Bree Lamee joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating college, she was following a long family tradition of service—one that taught her leadership, discipline and purpose.  

Today, as a development project manager at NextEra Energy Resources, she’s carrying those same values into a new mission: serving the energy needs of communities across Georgia.  

“My great-grandmother and great-grandfather were both in the military. My grandpa was in the Navy. I just remember thinking freedom isn’t free. I wanted to do my part,” says Lamee.  

Lamee grew up in California’s East Bay and attended California State University, Sacramento, where she went to Officer Candidate School during summers. After graduating in 2015, she accepted a commission in the Marine Corps. 

“It wasn’t linear,” she says with a laugh. “I did Army ROTC for a semester in college. I was looking for a place where I could go and fly, but that’s not what I ended up doing. The Marines would give you a shot to fly from the beginning, but when I went to my first summer of Officer Candidate School, I realized I liked the idea of being on the ground and ‘leading your Marine.’” 

Over nearly eight years of active duty, Lamee served in several roles that took her across the U.S. and overseas. 

“My first duty station was in San Diego—Pendleton,” she says. “I loved it there: surfing, hiking, dirt biking, playing rugby. So many opportunities to be outdoors.” 

Her time in San Diego was short-lived, though.  

“I went on two deployments, which also includes six months working up to those deployments in the Joshua Tree desert,” Lamee recalls. “On my second deployment, I got orders to Milwaukee. One of my tokens was travel and adventure. I was thinking I would go to Guam, Korea or Okinawa.” 

Instead, she found herself in the Midwest—and, unexpectedly, a new place to call home.  

“I was in the Middle East at the start of summer, so it was hot, and people were showing me videos of Wisconsin,” she laughs. “They were throwing a boiling pot of water into the air, and it was turning to ice before it hit the ground. I was really worried I wouldn’t survive there. But I immediately found a rugby team in Milwaukee. Everyone became like family to me.” 

During her time in Wisconsin, Lamee began thinking about what came next.  

“I changed my whole lifestyle based on health issues from my deployments,” she says. “I realized it was time for a change, but I was really conflicted about leaving the Marines. I felt a responsibility to young, female Marines in particular. People from all different walks of life join the military. It’s the most beautiful blend of humanity.” 

When she left active duty, she knew one thing for certain—her next step needed to be purpose-based.  

“During my time in the military, I was focused on my Marines and their futures,” Lamee says. “The military gives you a sense of self, but you aren’t in a normal setting where you are paying bills and having your own home. I spent a lot of time mentoring. I was always tracking my people and celebrating their successes. It was the most rewarding experience.” 

After leaving the Marines, Lamee pursued an MBA in Real Estate Development at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  

“I wanted to focus on affordable housing,” she says. “I was the only child of a single parent, and I understood the stability of housing. There wasn’t really a track for that, so I took the Private Equity track, which was really interesting.” 

That’s where her path crossed with NextEra Energy Resources.  

“One day, at an MBA Veterans Conference, I met some NextEra Energy Resources recruiters,” she says. “I was the president of the Real Estate Club at my school, and we were always hearing from the same companies. I wanted people to hear about real jobs out in the market, so I invited NextEra to come speak at my meeting. I had a purpose for them, and I guess they had one for me too. They won. I came to work at NextEra Energy Resources.” 

Today, Lamee works with communities across Georgia as a developer, where she focuses on energy projects that benefit local residents. 

“I love what we do,” she says. “I think the opportunity to change people’s lives is really important. As developers, we go into a community, and we ask how we can be a great neighbor.” 

She recalls a moment that captures the spirit of her work.  

“I was sitting in a county meeting,” she says. “I was there to get a Road Use Agreement approved. But the librarians were also there, and they were talking about budget cuts. They were struggling to keep part-time librarians, but they had so many impactful programs, including a mobile library to increase rural literacy. I came back to the company and organized a donation. When we presented the money, they brought every library board member, they had a cake, they gave us a tour of the library, and they told us about the history of the town. This is the purpose I was looking to find.” 

That sense of purpose carries into every relationship Lamee builds.  

“We work with people who are able to send their kids to college because of a project we introduced,” she says. “And at the same time, we are putting energy on the grid and helping these communities and their energy prices.” 

For Lamee, relationships lead.   

“Georgia has the second most counties of any state in the U.S., and every county has their own processes,” she says. “There’s tons of outreach to be done.” 

She approaches every conversation with humility.  

“I know this: If I just put myself in their shoes, I don’t love the unknown,” she says with a smile. “I was just at a conference in Atlanta where I saw an autonomous car driving around. I completely understand a hesitation about the unknown.” 

Educating communities about energy projects, though, is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.  

“At the company, we know everything about these energy projects, but that doesn’t mean communities do,” she shares. “We have a huge responsibility to help them understand the potential community benefits. I enjoy getting to know a community and learning what they need and how we can work together.” 

Her favorite part?  

“I have purpose,” she says. “I really listen and find out what people need.”