Meet The Team

An equestrian since the age of eight, Emily loves animals of all kinds and with the devastating passing of her sister was fortunate to have the support of family,  friends and the community to start Will's Way Animal Sanctuary and save Happiness Horse Farm from the developers anxious to tear it down to build. A science educator for over 20 years (BS Biology Education & Aquaculture from Florida Tech and MS Entomology and Nematology from UF), Emily enjoys sharing her passion of animals and nature with students and community members.

Just when he thought he escaped the farm life leaving his home country of Bosnia & Herzegovina,  we dragged him back in. Naim has always been a huge nature lover and also a veteran educator for over 20 years here in Brevard County. When he's not busy working as an assistant principal of Bayside High he's our go to ranch handyman that fixes everything and anything from fencing to tractors. Without him the farm could not run. 

Leslie Atwater Ladner has been an animal lover all of her life. A multi-certified Florida educator with over 25 years of experience, she brings her organizational talents and skills to our Central Florida treasure and would love to help you plan your next event or visit. Fun fact: her dad’s family claimed an original homestead in 1903 just miles from our farm, and her mom’s family had a farm in Hillsborough County back in the 1800s. 

A veteran teacher of computer courses and yearbook within Brevard County Florida, she joined the team to help with the horses and fell in love with the farm and the work it is doing within the community.  Heather is our social media guru and website designer...her amazing technological skills keep the community up to date on the farm's happenings on our social media sites. 

With a natural born gift to connect to animals of all kinds and a vegetarian since age 3, Anya runs this farm. She's the first to notice a sick or injured animal and is tirelessly committed to caring for all the farm residents in the heat, cold, rain or shine. Her best friends Clarabelle Chub Chubs and Pippin are always near by as is her body guard Serenity. 

Our go to helper as well as Weemie and Bentley's best friend, Adrian helps keep the animals on the farm fed and safe. He works alongside his Dad to keep the equipment running smoothly and he's our financial guy that keeps us in check watching our spending closely. 

Raffael is our graphic artist extraordinaire!  He is the brains behind the farm and sanctuary logo and also designs our fliers and invitations.  All of this is done from the other side of the globe in his home country of Brazil. He's a far away farm friend that visits and always comes up with fun ideas like attaching go pros to the goat collars for lots of laughs. 

The farm could not run successfully without  Laura. She (and her amazing daughters: Shelblynn, Savannah and Shea) have been here since the start. In the rain, heat and cold, thru thick and thin these devoted equestrians can always be counted on.  When all others have given up on dangerous or damaged horses Laura can see their potential and bring out their gentler side.  A true gift with horses, the hardest worker and biggest heart, the sanctuary is so lucky to have her as a member of our farm family. 

David has been an integral part of the farm since it's inception.  He has volunteered hundreds of hours helping to get the farm up and running so countless community members have been able to come and enjoy the sanctuary.  He is the idea man that comes up with the greatest ideas and then helps implement them. The farm could not function without his building and repair expertise. We are beyond lucky to call him farm neighbor and friend.

There really are no words to describe the invaluable role Ginger has played on the farm. She's been there since it was a dream in our minds through every difficult step of the way. She wears many hats from cow birther and farm sitter, to field trip leader and party planner.  We're still surprised she answers the phone every time we call never knowing what muddy animal adventure awaits....but yet she always does. She's been there for the smiles, successes and victories and the tears and losses. Always calm and encouraging and loved by all the animals...especially Dusty and Misty who's lives she saved the day they were orphaned. We're also pretty sure our dog Weems loves her more than us.  The farm could not ask for a better neighbor and friend.

Ashlee is passionate about animal welfare and dedicated to supporting the sanctuary’s mission of providing a safe haven for animals in need. Her lifelong love for horses inspires her commitment to creating a nurturing environment for all animals at the sanctuary. Balancing family life and community involvement, she works to raise awareness and foster connections with local businesses that help the sanctuary thrive. Being part of this compassionate journey brings her great joy and purpose and the farm is so lucky to have her on our team advocating for our animals.