About us
OUR STORY
Romelia Farms is a 36-acre wildlife preserve located on a historic property in Merritt Island, FL. The property itself dates back to the 1890’s, when it operated as an orange grove and later became one of Florida’s first alligator ranches.
When Jeremy and Lina Graves first inquired about the property in late 2020, it most certainly wasn’t because they had any interest in buying a petting zoo. In fact, the only thing they were interested in was leasing the barn as a wedding venue.
However, when they found out about the now former owner’s intention to sell the land and send the animals living on it to auction, they decided they had to act quickly if they were going to save the lives of the 150+ animals who called it their home.
On July 29th, 2021, the Graves family purchased the property and not only turned the organization into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but turned it into a wildlife preserve that’s dedicated to providing the utmost care for the 150+ animals who call it home. On day one they realized how neglected the animals and land had been, as a majority of the animals were underweight or in poor general health, lacking proper enclosures, and missing any kind of quality enrichment.
Belle, the property fox, for example, was living in a cinder block pit that formerly housed alligators. Whenever it rained the pit would fill with water due to a lack of roof over the enclosure, resulting in her living in inches of water with no dry area or covering to escape the elements.
Lola, the beloved property sloth, was hanging from a fence over a former alligator pit next door to Belle, affording her no cover from the elements and no way to get to the ground – something that’s imperative for sloths. Upon seeing this, they immediately began implementing a variety of necessary and overdue changes.
Adjusting diets, rebuilding enclosures, restoring pasture land, and improving the overall experience are just the first items on a very long checklist.
While Belle and Lola have already received new enclosures, there are many changes that still need to be made in order to properly care for these animals.
The most expensive part of looking after the animals at our wildlife preserve is the cost of providing high-quality food, water, care, and enrichment, which is why we created our #FeedTheAnimals fundraising campaign.
#FeedTheAnimals is a campaign focused solely on providing a regular source of funding for these items through monthly individual and corporate recurring donations. If we can get just 1,000 people- less than 1% of the current population of Brevard County- to donate $10 a month to our campaign, it will virtually eliminate the uncertainty that comes with relying on ticket sales to cover these vital expenses.
For more information on how you can help our farm, click the button below!
OUR TEAM
LINA GRAVES
PRESIDENT
Lina has served as a Human Resources leader for nearly 20 years. Early in her career, she founded a consulting agency, ISE Group, Inc. where she provided organizations with HR support with a dynamic focus on workplace culture. In 2012, Lina decided to join one of the largest post-acute providers of healthcare in the country, Genesis Healthcare. As an HR leader for Genesis, she spent nearly 8 years focused on leading a team of HR professionals in providing the highest level of service to over 24,000 employees. During her tenure there, Lina also led the creation of a sustainable workplace culture centered around the principals of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, with a focus on treating team members with care, love, and compassion.
After spending many years with Genesis, Lina’s focus returned to consulting with organizations in an effort to successfully create unmatched cultures and build employer branding that sets each organization apart and makes them the employer of choice within their industry. In addition to her role at the farm, Lina is also the VP of Human Resources for Learning Without Tears, an Ed Tech organization based out of DC that’s dedicated to ensuring children’s success in their education. Lina’s passion for creating sustainable workplace culture also continues on through her latest venture, Culture ConNext, Inc., an organization that’s dedicated to creating the highest attainable levels of culture for the clients they serve.
Lina strongly believes that leading from the heart is the most rewarding approach to leadership, and she continually goes above and beyond to educate her partners on the importance of employees feeling “safe” and included in the workplace. Above all, Lina is passionate about building meaningful relationships with everyone she comes in contact with. Her motto in life is to be kind in every interaction and to leave a lasting positive impact on every single life she touches, something she’s carried with her to her newest (and most unexpected) project to date- Romelia Farms!
JEREMY GRAVES
VICE PRESIDENT
Jeremy comes to us from the healthcare industry, where he’s established himself as a proven leader with a track record of successful ventures, including the integrated delivery of dialysis and vascular services to patients in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the United States. Driven by a mission to improve the lives of those who he has the honor to care for, Jeremy’s vision has transcended the boundaries of the healthcare industry and landed in the animal care industry!
Jeremy brings with him more than 20 years of leadership in operations, finance, and logistics- including serving in the United States Air Force, US State Department, and several efficacious start-up endeavors. It is with this experience that Jeremy leads Romelia Farms Wildlife Preserve with a mission rooted in improving the lives of all of the animals that he has the privilege to care for! One of Jeremy’s signature sayings is, “if you ever want to witness gratitude in its purest form, look no further than an animal.”
JANNA PEREZ
MARKETING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Janna is a Florida born marketer and community development coordinator who brings with her over 10 years of experience in both the private and public sector. Having entered the workforce in 2007, she’s held a variety of positions including as an office manager, a marketing specialist, an executive assistant, and most recently as a payroll and HR specialist. Throughout her career, Janna also performed around the state as a singer with various bands, which afforded her ample opportunities to develop her event planning and entertaining skills, as well as to get involved with fundraising for local nonprofit organizations. While working full time and performing multiple shows a week after business hours, Janna also obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Organizational Management from Eastern Florida State College.
Janna’s passion for singing and entertaining was her main focus from a young age, and she had all intentions of making that her full time career. However, as the global issues surrounding climate change and conservation began to worsen in recent years, her love for animals and the environment quickly started becoming her main focus. After much consideration, she made the decision to pursue a full time career in wildlife conservation and management, and joined the Romelia Farms team in October of 2021.
JANNA PEREZ
MARKETING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Janna is a Florida born marketer and community development coordinator who brings with her over 10 years of experience in both the private and public sector. Having entered the workforce in 2007, she’s held a variety of positions including as an office manager, a marketing specialist, an executive assistant, and most recently as a payroll and HR specialist. Throughout her career, Janna also performed around the state as a singer with various bands, which afforded her ample opportunities to develop her event planning and entertaining skills, as well as to get involved with fundraising for local nonprofit organizations. While working full time and performing multiple shows a week after business hours, Janna also obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Organizational Management from Eastern Florida State College.
Janna’s passion for singing and entertaining was her main focus from a young age, and she had all intentions of making that her full time career. However, as the global issues surrounding climate change and conservation began to worsen in recent years, her love for animals and the environment quickly started becoming her main focus. After much consideration, she made the decision to pursue a full time career in wildlife conservation and management, and joined the Romelia Farms team in October of 2021.
HANNAH STUCKO
ASSISTANT MANAGER, ANIMAL CARE
Hannah currently resides on the Space Coast with her two Austrailian Cattle Dogs and Thoroughbred horse. However, she comes to us from upstate New York, where she graduated from SUNY Morrisville in 2015 with her Bachelor’s Degree in Equine Science, with a focus on rehabilitiation.
Hannah joined the Romelia Farms team in the Fall of 2020, and is dedicated to giving our rescue animals the highest level of care possible.