Who we are
How It All Started
David Nusbaum was a devoted caretaker
of his beloved umbrella cockatoo, Snowflake. When he passed away at age 53, David wanted to help make lives better for exotic pet birds and their owners. Dr. Greg Harrison was one of the beneficiaries of funds to be “devoted to avian research.” Thus, HARCC became a vision to pursue.
Dr. Greg and Mrs. Linda Harrison
Greg and Linda Harrison met at Iowa State University, where he received his DVM degree in 1967. They moved to Florida, where they eventually established their own small animal practice. In the mid-70’s, Greg established the first exclusive pet avian practice in the country, and soon developed a line of organic formulated diets (Harrison’s Bird Foods).
In 1980, when the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) was formed, Greg was asked to serve as the first President, and Linda became the early communicator and education chairman.
Together they co-edited several avian medicine and surgery textbooks and other educational materials. Zoological Education Network was founded in 1998 and resulted in 9 years of an annual International Conference on Exotics (ICE) and 13 years of producing a bi-monthly full-color Exotic DVM Veterinary Magazine, as well other professional and client-oriented publications.
Dr. Greg and Linda Harrison
President and Secretary/Treasurer
Greg is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Retired) and Dip Emeritus of the European Board of Zoo Medicine (Avian). In his retirement he still participates in oversight of Harrison’s Bird Foods.
Dr. Bianca Zaffarano
Dr. Bianca Zaffarano
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Tia Greenberg
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Tia Greenberg
Todd Driggers, DVM, DACEPM
Dr. Todd Eric Driggers grew up in a rural Indiana town, where loving animals through providing medical care became his passion. He started by caring for his pet dogs and cats as a boy, and progressed to exotic pets, such as his pet turtle named Tippy. Dr. Driggers was admitted to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine after just two years of undergraduate study at Purdue, due to his commitment to the profession, demonstrated by his volunteerism and job at a small animal hospital in Indiana. Science, biology, and eventually medicine have been combined in his career as a practitioner of exotic animal medicine and surgery.
After graduating, he began working exclusively with exotic animals at the Avian And Exotic Animal Clinic in Indianapolis, and eventually moved to Arizona, where he started an exotic practice at Mesa Veterinary Hospital. He started a mobile practice called “Foothills Mobile Exotic DVM” in 1997 and changed the hospital name to “The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Arizona” after moving into a small clinic.
He has spoken nationally and internationally at the Association of Avian Veterinary Conferences and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarian Veterinary Conferences. He has also written several chapters in various peer-reviewed journals and books.
Dr. Driggers vacations in exotic locations around the world to view and learn about the wildlife he treats at the office. He is involved in many other activities outside work, including medical coordination for medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic through Food for the Hungry and child sponsorship advocacy. Dr. Driggers is a busy father of three and husband to his high school girlfriend, Heather. He and his family attend church at Central Christian Church in Gilbert.
Todd Driggers, DVM, DACEPM
Board of Directors Member
Katherine Quesenberry, DVM, MPH, DABVP (Avian)
Board of Directors Member
Katherine Quesenberry, DVM, MPH, DABVP (Avian)
Dr. Katherine Quesenberry has been practicing avian and exotic pet medicine exclusively for nearly 30 years. She is recognized both nationally and internationally as a leader in this field of veterinary medicine.
Dr. Quesenberry has trained more than 16 residents in avian and exotic pet medicine, most of whom are now board certified and are leaders in the field throughout the country. Dr. Quesenberry has co-edited several books, including Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, which is a best-selling veterinary textbook, Avian Medicine and Surgery, and Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Pet Medicine I and II.
Dr. Quesenberry is the Scientific Editor for the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, an international journal published by the Association of Avian Veterinarians. She has lectured extensively throughout the United States and Europe about veterinary care of birds, small mammals and other exotic pets.
Susan J. Tyson, VMD, MS
Dr. Tyson’s love for veterinary medicine began at a young age while she was growing up with caimans, parrots, dogs, cats, and turtles. She is a Philadelphia local with strong ties to Pennsauken, NJ. Dr. Tyson graduated from Rutgers, then received her master’s at Drexel University’s School of Medicine. Following graduation from The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary school in 2011, Dr. Tyson continued at Penn Vet as a focused exotics intern.
Currently, Dr. Tyson is a board member for Freedom Center for Wildlife and is the veterinarian for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. She has experience with a wide range of species, and her main interests are avian, reptile, and wildlife medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, and dentistry. She has continued her work with exotics, focusing on managing advanced surgical and medical cases and supporting elderly and aging pets. She has a strong interest in managing arthritic rabbits, birds, and reptiles with multimodal pain management.
At home, Dr. Tyson and her kids have a menagerie of pets including elderly cats, two adorable cockatiels, a green-cheeked amazon called Goblin, an ornate and three-toed Mississippi Box turtle, a ball python, salamanders, tarantulas, isopods, and bearded dragons. In her free time Dr. Tyson enjoys outdoor activities, the Shore, sports, and the arts.
Susan J. Tyson, VMD, MS
Board of Directors Member
Daisy Perez
With a background in Medical Office Management, Daisy Perez brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization. Driven by enthusiasm and passion, she takes pride in providing the best organizational efficiency possible. As an Executive Director, her goals include establishing a diverse culture and inspiring everyone from staff members to prospective donors about the vision and mission of HARCC. In addition to her primary job functions, Daisy Perez is a licensed Esthetician in the state of Florida and has been certified by the city of West Palm Beach and the UF|IFAS Extension as a “Smart Climate Floridian” for her extraordinary commitment to the environment.
Daisy Perez
Executive Director
Brian McFadden
Web Developer
Brian McFadden
Brian McFadden is an artist and technologist who received his MFA from Parsons in New York. He was introduced to HARCC through his shared commitment to sustainable agriculture with HARCC founders Linda and Greg Harrison.