The staff and response team for the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) bring a multitude of skills, experience and background to the organization. These skills include human nursing, veterinary medicine, scientific research, human relations, physical therapy, captive breeding and management, wildlife biology and wildlife rehabilitation. Together, they are the most qualified team in the field.

Find each team members' biography by clicking on their name:

Jay Holcomb, Executive Director, joined IBRRC in 1986 with twenty years of experience in animal rehabilitation. He began his career at the Marin Humane Society and then helped found the wildlife rehabilitation program at the Marin Wildlife Center in San Rafael, CA. He has a great breadth of experience working with seabirds, land birds, and mammals as well as birds of prey.

He responded to California oil spills during the 1970's and early 80's as a volunteer before joining the staff of IBRRC during the ARCO Anchorage Spill (1986). He has either led or been on staff for virtually all IBRRC spill responses since 1986 including the M/V Treasure oil spill in Cape Town, South Africa (2000).

During the Exxon Valdez Spill (1989), Jay pioneered the search and rescue program in Prince William Sound, the largest of its kind ever attempted. In addition, Jay managed the entire 6-month rehabilitation program caring for over 1,600 birds. Jay has served on the Board of Directors for the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, an association of wildlife rehabilitators and centers. Jay was president of that organization for 8 terms. Jay was awarded the 1996 NWRA lifetime Achievement Award, the highest award given in the field of wildlife rehabilitation, recognizing his pioneering efforts and dedication to wildlife conservation.

In 2000 Jay twice oversaw the international team of oiled wildlife professionals, in January at the Erika oil spill in France and then again in June at the Treasure oil spill in Cape Town, South Africa.

Also see:

Director's message

SF Chronicle story about Jay's efforts

Alice Berkner, Founder, was a registered nurse when she began rehabilitating birds during the 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Alice and a hand full of other concerned individuals founded IBRRC after that spill and directed the organization for fifteen years, until 1987. Alice led the early research and spill responses that build the foundation of oiled bird care that we aspire to today.

A veteran of nearly four dozen oil spill rehabilitation efforts, Alice is considered one of the top experts in the field of rehabilitation of oiled birds. Alice has responded to spills throughout the United States including the IXTOC, Exxon Valdez oil spill and the New Carrissa oil spills. She is a primary author on two of the first publications ever used as standards in the field of oiled wildlife rehabilitation.

Also see:

Founder's Perspective

Curt Clumpner, founder and former director of HOWL Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Lynnwood, WA, has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation since 1981. He has cared for a variety of wild animals from songbirds to large game mammals. Curt has responded to many oil spills since 1984 including Whidbey Island (1984), ARCO Anchorage (1985), Nestucca (1988-89), Exxon Valdez (1989), American Trader (1990) plus spills in California and Washington states during 1991. Curt also led a team of 5 IBRRC response team members to help rehabilitate oiled Magellanic Penguins along the coast of Argentina (1991) and was one of 6 IBRRC response team members that helped manage Jackass Penguin rehabilitation efforts after the Apollo Sea spill in Cape Town, South Africa.

Curt also represented IBRRC at the Iron Baron oil spill in Tasmania where 2,000 oiled fairy penguins were rehabilitated. He has trained and worked with rehabilitators in a variety of countries including Scotland, Germany, Japan, Australia, Peru, and Guatemala.

Curt is a former board member of the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, a current member of the Board of Directors of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, NWRA, and is a member of numerous professional associations. In 1999 Curt oversaw the search and collection efforts for the bird rehabilitation program during the New Carrissa oil spill. In January 2000, he was one of an international team of oiled wildlife professionals that went to France to assist locals in caring for birds effected by the Erika oil spill. Curt is our Northwest Regional Representative.

Rebecca Dmytryk joined IBRRC's response team in 1993 and has worked numerous spills including a well blow out in Venice, Louisiana (1995), Bollona Creek (1997), the Point Reyes Tar ball events (1998) and Stuyvesant spill (1999) and the Jessica, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (2001). Her responsibilities have included search and collection, intake and stabilization of the birds, washing, and cage construction.

Since the mid-1980's Rebecca has used her success as a small business owner to help organize a number of nonprofit wildlife organizations. Most recently she founded The California Wildlife Center based in Malibu and has managed its operations for over four years.

She is the author of a paper, Wildlife Paramedics, which was presented at the California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators and International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council conferences in 1999. An offshoot of this paper is a training course she offers to volunteers and government employees to help ensure proper care of injured and orphaned native wildlife. Rebecca is also a professional videographer and combines her wildlife background with her production skills to create Public Service Announcements and educational videos.

Mark Russell has more than 15 years of experience working with oiled wildlife in California, Alaska and other parts of the world. Mark has also worked in the field as an assistant on various research projects. Among these projects includes work for the Department of Energy in the Mojave Desert in Nevada, for the San Francisco State University in the jungles of Cameroon, and for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the Prince William Sound. He got his start working with animals as a Veterinary Technician in Las Vegas.

Mark joined the response team during the American Trader Spill (1990), after which he spent four years working for the rehabilitation program at IBRRC’s central facility. Some of the spills he has worked on include the Apollo Sea, South Africa (1994), the Caligliera, South Africa (1995), the Pribilof islands, Alaska (1996), and the Dyer Island spill, South Africa (1996). Mark headed the search and collection effort for the Portland Maine spill (1996 Tri-State /IBRRC), headed the rehabilitation efforts for the Kure spill in Arcata, California (1997), the McGrath Lake and Santa Clara River/earthquake spills (1994), and was on the management team at the Treasure response in South Africa (2000). He is also a trainer and a public speaker for IBRRC.

Barbara Callahan joined IBRRC in 1997 and is IBRRC's Alaska Regional Representative. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from the University of Alaska Anchorage, where her studies included avian hematology and microbiology. Barbara has nine years of wild bird rehabilitation experience, including extensive work with raptors.

Barbara has participated in the Santa Cruz fish/vegetable oil, Kure (1997), Point Reyes Tar ball events (1998) and New Carissa (1999) spills for IBRRC. In 2000 Barbara was twice a member of the international team of oiled wildlife professionals that went to France and South Africa to assist locals in caring for birds effected by the Erika (January 2000) and Treasure (June 2000) oil spills. Barbara is also an instructor for trainings conducted by IBRRC.

See story about Barbara in Anchorage Daily News

Dave Scherrer is the former Facility Manager for International Bird Rescue Research Center. He has B.S. in Biology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dave has been working in the field of wildlife rehabilitation since 2001 when he joined IBRRC. Dave brings vast experience in volunteer management, operational safety and pool system technologies, which is of great value to the team.

Dave has been an international wildlife responder for both Prestige responses that IBRRC was involved with (Spain and later in France 2001-2002), as well as several spill responses in California, Washington and the most recent spill response to the Selendang Ayu spill in the remote Aleutian Chain of Alaska.

Additionally, Dave responded during a wildlife emergency in South Africa in 2002 at WildCare Africa when they were inundated with baby rhinos and other indigenous animals in care.

Deirdre Goodfriend was formerly IBRRC's Rehabilitation Manager for the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center, CA. She was on staff with IBRRC from 1995 to 2001. Since 1996, she has served as a board member at large for the California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Deirdre began her career as a zoo keeper at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana, working with primates and then for several years in the native animal section where she was introduced to wildlife rehabilitation. She went on to intern at the Regents Park Zoo in London, England and specialized in primate care. In 1990, Deirdre became the Wildlife Care Supervisor for Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. in British Columbia, Canada, a full species rehabilitation center that cares for 3,000 to 4,000 native wild animals annually. Deirdre worked on several oil spills in Canada and developed an expertise in the rehabilitation of aquatic birds.

Deirdre has participated in over twenty spill responses as part of the IBRRC response team. These include the Pribilof Islands, Alaska spill (1996); Cape Mohican, San Francisco Bay spill (1996), Ballona Creek, Long Beach, CA spill (1997), Nakhodka, Hokkaido, Japan spill (1997), Pallas, Amrum Island, Germany spill (1998), Delphi, Astoria, OR spill (1999) and the New Carissa, Coos Bay, OR spill (1999). In January, 2000 Deirdre was a member of an international team of oiled wildlife professionals that went to France to assist locals in caring for birds effected by the Erika oil spill. Deirdre is also an instructor for trainings conducted by IBRRC.

Ken Brewer originally volunteered at the ARCO Anchorage Spill (1985) and became interested in wildlife rehabilitation from that experience. He began volunteering at HOWL Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Lynnwood, WA, and was employed there for two years. He joined the IBRRC response team during the Nestucca Spill (1988). He worked on the Exxon Valdez (1989), American Trader (1990), Anacortes (1991), Santa Clara River (1991 & 94), Tenyo Maru (1991), Argentina Mystery (1991) the Apollo Sea, South Africa (1994), the Pribilof Islands (1996), Santa Cruz Fish/Vegetable oil, and Kure (1997), Point Reyes Tar ball events, H.M.S. Hose in Hawaii (1998), and the New Carissa (1999) spills.

Ken is trained in boat rescue techniques, veterinary assistance and is our chief bird-washing supervisor. In 2000, Ken was twice a member of the international team of oiled wildlife professionals that went to France and South Africa to assist locals in caring for birds effected by the Erika and Treasure oil spills. Ken is also an instructor for trainings conducted by IBRRC.

Bruce Adkins, has been an IBRRC response team member since 1988 when he volunteered during the Nestucca oil spill in Gray's Harbor, WA. Since then, Bruce has worked many spills with IBRRC including the Exxon Valdez (1989) oil spill, Santa Clara River (1991), Tenyo Maru (1991) and the Pribilof Island (1996), Santa Cruz fish/vegetable oil, Kure (1997), Point Reyes Tar ball events (1998), and the New Carissa (1999) spills.

In June of 2000 he also responded to the Treasure Oil Spill in Cape Town, South Africa. Bruce is a specialist in search and collection of oiled birds and is versed in washing/rinsing techniques as well as basic rehabilitation protocols.

Millicent (Mimi) Wood-Harris, founder and President of Wildlife on Wheels, a Los Angeles based non-profit education and rehabilitation organization, has been with IBRRC since 1987 when she worked on a spill near Los Angeles, CA. She has since worked on the Nestucca (1989), Exxon Valdez (1989), American Trader (1990), Tenyo Maru (1991), Apollo Sea, South Africa, (1994) and the McDonnell Douglas and Metrolink (1995) oiled wildlife rehabilitation efforts.

Mimi completed work on a Master of Science degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills and then worked for Marine-World Africa USA and the Atlanta Zoo. She also served as an instructor for the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College in Moorpark, CA, besides being a member of numerous national and international professional organizations,

In June 1987, Mimi was selected by Ebony magazine as one of "Thirty Black Leaders of the Future" for her work in these areas. In January, 1993, she was selected for inclusion in the Who's Who book of Rising Young Americans. Mimi is currently living in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

Russ Curtis is the Technology Manager at IBRRC. He began volunteering in 1997 at the old Berkeley, CA bird center and worked with oiled birds and on logistics during the Santa Cruz spill (1997) and the Kure spill in Humboldt, CA (1997). He also responded to the Treasure spill (2000) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Since 2000 he has been instrumental in developing and keeping IBRRC's website updated. He also provides computer support and maintains IT infrastructure at both California bird centers.

He holds a BA in Journalism from California State University, Long Beach and attended the Multimedia Studies Program at San Francisco State University. He's also a certified by Apple to do Macintosh Computer Support

In addition, Russ is an accomplished photographer based in San Francisco. In his spare time, he helps other non-profits, businesses and individuals with their computer and technology needs.

Wendy Sangiacomo joined the IBRRC Response team in 1992 and is a licensed hemodialysis technician by trade. She has been a volunteer as well as a staff person at the California Center for Wildlife in San Rafael, CA. As a trained veterinary technician, she has worked with a variety of wild and domestic animal species and has a particular interest in reptiles.

Wendy worked the McGrath Lake and Santa Clara River/Earthquake (1994), the Venice, LA, McDonnell Douglas, Metrolink and Kettleman City (1995), Pribilof Islands and Cape Mohican (1996), Ballona Creek, Torch, Santa Cruz fish /vegetable oil and Kure (1997), Point Reyes Tar ball events, H.M.S. Hose in Hawaii (1998), and the New Carissa (1999) spills.

Wendy works with local California bird researchers to gain normal blood values on common coastal bird species. Wendy is our facility coordinator for the Berkeley rehabilitation facility and during oil spills.

Jonolyn McCusker joined the IBRRC response team in 1993. Jonolyn began rehabilitating wildlife in Oregon in 1976. She worked at the Washington Park Zoo in Portland, OR and was Director of the Portland Audubon Wildlife Care Center for three and a half years. Jonolyn has worked with a wide variety of species including many oiled and non-oiled aquatic birds.

While in Oregon, Jonolyn helped in oil spills along the Oregon coast including the Columbia River Oil spill in 1984. Jonolyn founded and directed Wild Again, a wildlife rehabilitation organization in Tucson, AZ from 1988-1994.

Jonolyn now lives in San Antonio where she volunteers with local rehabilitation groups. In 1994, Jonolyn worked on the Santa Clara River/Earthquake oil spill and has since worked on the Venice, LA, the Metrolink and Kettleman City, CA spills (1995), the Pribilof Island spill (1996), the Santa Cruz Fish/Vegetable oil spill (1997), and the New Carissa spill (1999).

Lisa Birkle has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation for more than 6 years. Lisa joined IBRRC's response team in 2000 and has previously worked 5 spills with IBRRC, including the Wintersberg Channel spill (1998), the El Segundo (1998) and the Malibu Mystery Spill (2001).

She worked with a local rehabilitation facility as a volunteer, and later as staff. She has worked with all types of native wildlife. Lisa has also completed both basic and advanced wildlife rehabilitation and oiled wildlife care classes.

Lisa's background is in marine biology. She worked for 4 years as a marine preserve officer for the city of Newport Beach at a marine life refuge. In 2000, Lisa was nominated for the Red Cross Clara Barton award for her environmental work.

Jamie Stich graduated with a double major in Marine Biology and Zoology from Humboldt State University, CA in 1998. He has been a member of the IBRRC response team member since 1998, working at the Kure (1997), Point Reyes Tar ball events, Command, Winterburg Channel, El Segundo (1998), and the New Carissa (1999) spills. Jaime has been involved in both search and collection as well as rehabilitation center activities as part of the spill team.

When not responding to oil spills, he has spent his summer months employed in Alaska by the USFWS division of Migratory Bird Management and as a technician assisting in the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage. Jaime has special interests in public outreach and education.

Amber Transou received her BS in Wildlife Biology from Humboldt State University, CA. She has worked on a variety of restoration projects, including a program to reestablish the threatened red-cockaded woodpecker with USFWS and monitoring the threatened snowy plover for Mad River Biologists. Amber first worked with oiled wildlife during the Kure spill in Humboldt Bay (1997). She has subsequently joined the IBRRC response team in 1999 and assisted with search and collection during the New Carissa, OR spill. When not responding to oil spills, Amber continues her work in northern California for the Redwood Sciences Lab at HSU and Mad River Biologists during the breeding bird season.

Sean McAllister first began his work with oiled birds during the Kure spill in Humboldt Bay (1997) and subsequently joined the IBRRC response team in December of that year. Since that time, he has participated in the Point Reyes Tar ball events, Carson, Command, Winterburg Channel (1998), New Carissa, Stockdale and Stuyvesant spills (1999).

Sean has studied threatened and endangered birds in the wild for many years. His primary focus has been on the marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, and snowy plover but he maintains a keen interest in all species. He has served on the board of directors of the Redwood Region Audubon Society and taught field ornithology for the Siskiyou Field Institute, and instructs an annual course in surveying for marbled murrelets. He has co-authored a book on bird watching in Northern California and published numerous photographs in birding journals. During the spring and summer months, Sean works as the lead field biologist for a private consulting firm in northern California, supervising crews during bird survey projects.

Karen Benzel, Public Relations/Media Director, joined IBRRC in 2000, after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Mass Communications. For the past 15 years she has been actively involved in animal welfare and the environment, raising awareness of issues affecting wildlife, and educating the public through the media.

Her love of waterfowl inspired her to become a wildlife rehabilitator, which she has done as a volunteer since 1990, specializing in mallards, and the problems they face in urban environments. In 1991, she was a co-founder of California Environmental Project, Inc., an award winning non-profit dedicated to the restoration and preservation of natural areas degraded by pollution in Southern California.

She went on to co-found the Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County, Inc. where she directed all fundraising, membership development and public relations activities including writing a weekly newspaper column. In 1995, she created The Waterfowl Preservation Committee, and brought national attention to the plight of ducklings dying at a condominium complex in Alameda, California.

Her IBRRC media campaign in the summer of 2001, Pelicans in Peril, highlighted the problems pelicans face when they compete with humans for fish, injuries from fish hooks and entanglement in fishing lines which many times lead to death. Increased public awareness helped lead to the formation of the Pelican Protection Alliance, a new organization dedicated to educating the public and helping to find solutions to the problems pelicans face. She is also the Northern California representative for American Tortoise Rescue, Inc., a non-profit, which rescues, rehabilitates and adopts displaced turtles and tortoises and educates the public to their plight.

Susan Kaveggia joined International Bird Rescue Research Center after several years in wildlife rehabilitation. Following graduation from Concordia University with a biology degree, Susan intended to enter the optometry school, but her career path took a turn.

While volunteering at a local wildlife rehabilitation center she experienced her first oil spill and found her calling. After that experience, she was hired for several positions with the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, the final as Wildlife Director.

She has continued her education by attending various ornithology courses and workshops. Her love of all animals had been a life-long interest, but her love and fascination with seabirds is what is nearest her heart.

Susan works in IBRRC's San Pedro center as a Rehabilitation Technician.

Recent oil spill responses: Dog Beach Mystery, Jan. 2003; Luckenbach Spill, November 2001-July 2002; and Malibu Mystery spill, January-April 2001.

Megan Shaw Prelinger is the assistant manager (part-time) at IBRRC's rehabilitation center in Cordelia, CA. She has worked with IBRRC since 2000, when she started as a new volunteer. At Cordelia bird center she manages the patient log database and helps coordinate the Snowy Egret metabolic bone disease case study project. She presented a paper about the project at the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association annual conference in March 2002. She joined the spill response team during the San Mateo Mystery Spill (2001 - 2002), and helped with the Malibu Mystery Spill in January 2003.

When not at IBRRC, she is a writer and also vice president of the Prelinger Archives, a collection of non-feature films and a print library of social and natural history. She hosts a quarterly screening event on staff and volunteer appreciation evenings, showing classic nature films that educate and entertain about our most beloved species. Her short documentary about the work of IBRRC, Releases, headlined at the Dallas Video Festival in March, 2003.

Michelle Bellizzi is the rehabilitation manager at IBRRC's main wildlife center in Cordelia, CA. She has worked with IBRRC since 2000, when she started as a new volunteer. At Cordelia bird center, she oversees the care of over 1,800 patients a year, and is committed to improve the manner in which aquatic birds are rehabilitated.  

She is also committed to educating interested parties on the specifics of rehabilitating aquatic species.  In 2003 at the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA), she presented a paper on appropriate caging of aquatic birds in rehabilitation.  She is also actively involved with rescuing and rehabilitating unwanted and "problem" parrots, being a devoted parrot-mom.  

Recent oil spill responses:  San Mateo Mystery Spill / Luckenbach Spill (2001 - 2003), Livermore Diesel Spill (2002), Auburn Mystery Spill (2002).

Marie Travers, is one of the Assistant Rehabilitation Managers at IBRRC’s headquarters in Cordelia, CA. Marie has worked with IBRRC since November 2001, when she started as a volunteer.  After interning at IBRRC during 2002-2003, she was offered a position as a Rehabilitation Technician and worked in that capacity from 2003-2006.

Marie received her undergraduate  degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and served as the Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager at Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek from 2002-2003. She currently serves as a board member and webmaster for the California Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators. Marie presented papers at the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association conferences in 2005 and 2006 (with co-presenters Megan Prelinger and January Bill) on aquatic bird stabilization and care.

Recent oil spill responses: San Mateo Mystery Spill / Luckenbach Spill (2001 - 2003), Livermore Diesel Spill (2002), Auburn Mystery Spill (2002), Suisun Marsh Diesel Spill (2004), Norway Glomma River Spill (2006).

January O. Bill received her Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Rehabilitation from Humboldt State University. She worked as director of the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center for two years.

After interning at IBRRC's Northern California center in 2002, Bill was hired by the organization to work as a rehabilitation technician. She now works for the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN).

Her interest in oiled wildlife response began in 1999 when she was a volunteer at the 1999 Stuyvesant spill. Since then her oil spill experience includes, 2002 Luckenbach, 2003 Richmond Beach, WA., 2004 Suisun Marsh spill, CA, Dutch Harbor, AK, and the Ventura, CA mystery spill.

Monte Merrick began responding to spills with IBRRC in 2002, when he joined the team during the Luckenbach Spill. Monte has done field research with IBRRC, studying breeding success of the Western Snowy Plover in Trona, CA, an industrialized Mojave desert location. He was a staff rehabilitation technician in 2003-04 at the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care and Education Center.

As a response team member, Monte has gone to the Aleutian Islands when the Selandang Ayu ran aground, worked on the Ventura Oiled Bird Incident, and on the gulf coast of Louisiana when Tropical Storm Arlene caused a small spill that had a huge impact on a colony of nesting baby Brown Pelicans. Monte participated intimately in the hacking program after the successfully rehabilitated babies were released back to the Breton Islands.

Monte began his work in wildlife rehabilitation at the PAWS Wildlife Center near Seattle, Washington. He has also worked with other organizations, responding to a large freshwater spill in Alberta, and the multiple spills caused by Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Monte's primary interests are natural history, husbandry, poetry and the astonishing and beautiful world.