Rochelle Hood, Executive Director

Rochelle serves as the Executive Director for Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA), the Friends Group for the Merritt Island and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuges. Her role includes advocacy, fundraising, outreach, environmental education, and membership engagement in support of the Refuges’ wildlife conservation mission. Rochelle is responsible for program development to provide community members with education about wildlife protection and habitat preservation.

Before joining MIWA, Rochelle demonstrated her leadership and entrepreneurial acumen by founding and successfully leading a management consulting firm for 13 years. She held global roles with responsibility for product management, Global Business Services leadership, process engineering, data analytics, and project management.

Rochelle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from College of St. Mary and an MBA from Webster University. Her professional credentials include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Rochelle is a certified Florida Master Naturalist and earned her Basic Wildlands Firefighter qualification. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Space Coast Audubon Society and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival.