Lena Epstein, a member of the DHS Board of Trustees, recently informed the Detroit Historical Society that she amended her estate plan to include a six-figure planned gift for DHS and its general operations.
Says Epstein, “Detroit has always been at the center of my family’s story. The Detroit Historical Society preserves not just artifacts, but the spirit of a city that’s defined by resilience and reinvention. I joined the DHS Board because I believe understanding Detroit’s past gives us power over the future. Including DHS in my estate plan is my way of ensuring that future generations understand where we’ve been so they can be inspired to shape where we’re going. It’s a lasting investment in Detroit’s identity.”
Said Tom Buhl, Immediate Past Chairperson of the DHS Board of Trustees, “We always hope that our Board members find it in their hearts to financially support our organization and its work every year. Lena Epstein understands the need to lead when it comes to philanthropic giving. She has been generous over her tenure as a Trustee but now has gone beyond the call of duty by making this unrestricted, six-figure estate gift. Gifts like these go a long way towards assuring a future for our organization.”
Epstein is an executive at Vesco Oil Corporation, a business started by her grandfather in 1947. With a Harvard undergraduate degree in Economics and an MBA from the University of Michigan, she is the third generation of Epsteins to run the family business, assuming control of the company when her father retired in 2020.
She grew up in the northwest suburbs, the daughter of prominent lawyers. Her mother is a Winkelman, of the Winkelmans that started the Midwest-based Winkleman’s department store chain. She is a practicing attorney as well as the Chair of Vesco’s Board of Directors. Lena’s father, Robert Epstein, who passed away in 2021, was Harvard educated with a law degree from the University of Michigan. After practicing law for many years at Sommers, Schwartz, Sliver and Schwartz, he became the Chief Executive Officer of Vesco in 1995. Like her father, Lena Epstein graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Economics. She followed her time in Cambridge, Massachusetts with graduate work at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business where she graduated with an MBA.
When asked about the pressure associated with growing up in a legacy family, Lena responded, “Growing up in a visible family certainly came with expectations, but it also came with perspective. I learned at an early age that privilege carries responsibility — not entitlement. My parents emphasized work ethic, integrity, and contribution. I’ve always found purpose in turning that pressure into motivation to lead, serve, and give back.”
Epstein relates, “My parents and grandparents modeled generosity as a way of life. They taught me that giving isn’t just about writing a check — it’s about caring deeply and acting intentionally. Philanthropy, for our family, has always been an expression of gratitude for the opportunities we’ve had and a commitment to create opportunities for others.”
For this reason, Epstein has been active in the community. She not only serves on her family’s charitable foundation board, and on the Board of the Detroit Historical Society, but has also assumed governance responsibilities at Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and sits on the Board’s Executive Committee at the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce. She says, “Strong communities don’t happen by accident – they’re built by people who show up. Serving on civic and philanthropic boards allows me to connect the dots between business, leadership, and community development. Detroit has extraordinary momentum; I believe leaders have an obligation to help shape that progress in a mindful way.”
Having conversations with friends of Detroit Historical Society about planned giving has become a point of emphasis for the organization as it contemplates the future. As Epstein points out, speaking from a donor’s perspective, “Planned giving allows you to think long term – to align your legacy with your values. Personally, it’s gratifying to know that my support will continue to make an impact beyond my lifetime. From a foundation perspective, it’s a smart, strategic tool that sustains institutions we care about for generations to come.”
Lena Epstein is bullish on Detroit. She says, “Detroit’s future is bright — and it’s being written by people who believe in the city’s potential as much as its past. I see a Detroit that’s inclusive, innovative, and economically dynamic, where business and community leadership go hand in hand. The best chapters of our story are still ahead. We need to make it that way for our children. One of my greatest joys is raising my seven-year-old daughter Emma Jules. She is an angel and the most important facet of my life.”
John Decker, Chairperson of the DHS Board, responded, “I speak for all of us when I say that we are grateful for Lena’s leadership, generosity and ongoing support of Detroit Historical Society. Planned giving is an important part of any non-profit’s philanthropic portfolio. Lena knows that we are trying to expand our efforts in this area and made an estate gift as a point of leading this effort. But beyond that, she sincerely believes in our mission and in the future of Detroit.”