ASPS/PSF Council of Representatives
ASPS/PSF Council of Representatives Organizational Chart
Click the image to enlarge the chart.
ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors
ASPS Board of Directors
The ASPS Board of Directors is the governing body of the Society. It is responsible for supervising, controlling and directing the business and affairs of the Society, as well as its committees and publications. It has the authority to set policy and adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary or advisable.
The ASPS Board of Directors is obligated to consider recommendations forwarded to it by the three Subcouncils. The voting members of the ASPS Board of Directors, effective October 30, 2023, when the 2024 leadership term begins, will be:
- ASPS President
- PSF President
- ASPS President-Elect
- PSF President-Elect
- ASPS Immediate Past President
- PSF Immediate Past President
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Academic Affairs
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Development
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Education
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Finance and Treasurer
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Health Policy and Advocacy
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Membership
- ASPS/PSF Board Vice President of Research
- Chair of the Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies
- Chair of the Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies
- Chair of the Subcouncil of Member Sections
PSF Board of Directors
The PSF Board of Directors is the governing body of the Foundation. It is responsible for supervising, controlling and directing the business and affairs of the Foundation, as well as its committees and publications. It has the authority to set policy and adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary or advisable.
Council of Representatives
The purpose of the Council is to actively engage the full range of membership and to provide a grassroots leadership structure to facilitate new ideas within membership and stakeholder groups. It is felt that by combining forces, the state and regional societies, subspecialty societies and ASPS Special Interest Groups ("SIGs") will have a stronger, more unified voice within the plastic surgery specialty.
The Council is comprised of the voting members of the three Subcouncils identified below. It does not have independent leadership, is not expected to meet and does not have independent authority to take action.
Subcouncil delegates represent the perspectives of their stakeholder entity in the decision-making process during Subcouncil meetings and in advocating to improve the health of patients and the plastic surgery specialty.
Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies
The Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies has an advocacy focus. Delegates to the Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies must be ASPS Active Members in good standing.
Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies
The Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies has an education focus. Delegates to the Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies must be ASPS Active Members in good standing.
Subcouncil of Member Sections
The Subcouncil of Member Sections has a member and professionalism focus. Delegates to the Subcouncil of Member Sections must be members in good standing of the SIG or Forum they represent.
Determining the Number of Voting Delegates
State and Regional Societies and Subspecialty Societies may have up to three voting delegates based on the number of ASPS Active or Life Active Members. Each State and Regional Society and Subspecialty Society is entitled to at least one delegate; those with more than 250 ASPS Active and Life Active Members are entitled to one additional delegate for each additional 250 ASPS Active and Life Active Members up to a maximum of three delegates per society.
Similarly, each entity within the Subcouncil of Member Sections may have up to five voting delegates. Those members of the Subcouncil of Member Sections who are not ASPS Active Members must be members in good standing of the SIG or Forum they represent. Each SIG or Forum is entitled to at least one delegate; those with more than 50 members are entitled to one additional delegate for each additional 50 members up to a maximum of five delegates per SIG or Forum.
The table below provides a snapshot of how Subcouncil delegates are allotted.
|
State & Regional and Subspecialty Societies |
SIGs and Forums |
|
1 delegate for each 250 Active / Life Active Members up to a maximum of 3 1-250 Active / Life Active Members = 1 delegate |
1 delegate for each 50 SIG or Forum members up to a maximum of 5 1-50 members = 1 delegate |
Criteria to Become a Delegate
Each delegate must be an ASPS Active Member, unless otherwise permitted by the Subcouncil, and may not be a member of the ASPS/PSF Board of Directors (except for the Subcouncil Chair), ASPS Trustees or the ASPS/PSF Conflict of Interest Committee. The stakeholder entity must have previously confirmed their delegate's willingness to serve.
The same individual may not represent more than one entity at a time within a subcouncil, nor may they serve on multiple subcouncils at the same time.
Participating Stakeholder Entities
The table below describes the participating stakeholders and the number of Official Delegates (or Designated Alternates) that are expected to represent their stakeholders during the Subcouncil meetings. The number in parentheses behind the stakeholder name is the number of delegates the stakeholder is allotted.
|
Subcouncil |
# Stakeholders |
|
Subcouncil of Member Sections
|
6 |
|
Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies
|
17 |
|
Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies
|
12 |
Council of Representatives and Subcouncil Leadership
Although there are no leaders of the full Council of Representatives, there might be occasions – especially during the inaugural term – when the leaders of all three Subcouncils would like to convene to discuss administrative matters or other topics of mutual concern. No action can be taken during these "Leadership Conventions."
Each Subcouncil will be led by a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary (the "Subcouncil Leadership" or "Subcouncil Leaders") who must be Active Members, and shall each serve one-year terms that normally begin at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and continue until the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting. Subcouncil Leaders elected during the inaugural term will begin their term of service upon notice of the outcome of the election and continue until the conclusion of the Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the 2024 Annual Meeting. Each Subcouncil Chair shall have a seat on the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors, with voting rights.
To ensure continuity of governance, it is anticipated – but not required – that the Vice Chair will succeed to Chair, and the Secretary to Vice Chair. On election, the Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary continue to represent their stakeholder entity on the Subcouncil, with all associated delegate rights and privileges. No two leadership positions within a Subcouncil can be held by delegates from the same stakeholder entity.
2023-2024 Subcouncil Leaders
The table below identifies the results of the Subcouncil leadership election. It should be noted that a run-off election was held to identify the Chair of the Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies, which had a cascading effect on the Vice Chair and Secretary positions. Leaders will serve through the 2024 leadership term.
|
Office |
Subcouncil of Member Sections |
Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies |
Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies |
|
Chair |
Kavitha Ranganathan, MD, Young Plastic Surgeons |
Michelle Palazzo, MD, Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons |
Joseph Disa, MD, American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery |
|
Vice Chair |
Kerry Latham, MD, Military Forum |
Abigail Chaffin, MD, Southeastern Society |
Albert Oh, MD, American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons |
|
Secretary |
Patricia Mars, MD, Women Plastic Surgeons Forum |
Gordon Lee, MD, California Society of Plastic Surgeons |
Vacant for 2023-2024 Term |
Electing Members to the ASPS/PSF Nominating Committee
Each Subcouncil shall annually elect two individuals to the ASPS/PSF Nominating Committee. These Subcouncil Representatives to the Nominating Committee must be Active Members and must meet the other eligibility requirements for service on the Nominating Committee described in the Nominating Committee Standard Operating Procedures. Such election shall take place during each Subcouncil's meeting, which takes place in conjunction with Plastic Surgery The Meeting ("PSTM") – provided a quorum is present and in accordance with the Council of Representatives Standard Operating Procedures.
Official Delegates were asked to nominate up to two Active members to represent their Subcouncil on September 21, 2023. The nominating deadline is October 5, 2023. Each Subcouncil will elect their two representatives to the Nominating Committee at their Subcouncil meeting on October 26, 2023.
Subcouncil Meetings During PSTM in Austin
The three Subcouncils (State and Regional Societies, Subspecialty Societies and Member Sections) are scheduled to hold their inaugural Subcouncil Meetings on Thursday morning, October 26, 2023. Recognized Stakeholder Entities may name a Designated Alternate to substitute for their Official Delegate during the Subcouncil's meeting in the event the Official Delegate is unable to attend the Subcouncil meeting. The Designated Alternate shall have all voting rights of the Official Delegate.
|
Event Name |
Event Time |
Location |
|
Subcouncil of Member Sections Meeting |
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM |
Hilton Austin: Austin Grand Ballroom J |
|
Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies Meeting |
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM |
Hilton Austin: Austin Grand Ballroom J |
|
Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies Meeting |
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM |
Hilton Austin: Austin Grand Ballroom J |
Badge Requirements for Admission to the Subcouncil Meeting
Official Delegates and Designated Alternates must first check in with the PSTM Registration Desk in Hall 5 at the Austin Convention Center to pick up their name badges before checking in with the Council of Representatives Registration Desk (located just outside the Subcouncil Meeting room in the Austin Grand Ballroom J at the Hilton Austin Hotel).
This requirement does not apply to the Official Delegates and Designated Alternates for the Subcouncil of Member Sections, as their meeting begins at 7:00 AM – 30 minutes before the PSTM Registration Desk opens. The badges for all Official Delegates for the Subcouncil of Member Sections who registered prior to October 4, 2023, will be available for pickup at the Council of Representatives Registration Desk between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM on October 26, 2023. Official Delegates will still need to check in with the PSTM Registration Desk at the Austin Convention Center to pick up their Registration Bags.
Designated Alternates
If the Official Delegate is unable to attend the Subcouncil meeting during Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the stakeholder entity may send a Designated Alternate to substitute for their Official Delegate. The Designated Alternate must meet the requirements of delegates to that Subcouncil.
Designated Alternate Eligibility Requirements
Each designated alternate:
- For State and Regional and Subspecialty Societies: Must be an ASPS Active member in good standing
- For Member Sections: Must be a member in good standing of the SIG or Forum they represent
- May not be a member of the ASPS/PSF Board of Directors (except for the Subcouncil Chair), ASPS Trustees or the ASPS/PSF Conflict of Interest Committee.
- May not represent any other Society in any of the Subcouncils
- May not serve on any other Subcouncil
- Must have previously confirmed their willingness to serve
- For State and Regional and Subspecialty Societies: Must provide written documentation authorized by the Society's administrator or presiding officer
- For Member Sections: Must provide written documentation authorized by the staff liaison or committee chair of the SIG or Forum's steering committee
Designated Alternate Documentation Requirements and Check-In Procedures
ASPS has created the Designated Alternate Authorization Form for the convenience of Stakeholders interested in sending a Designated Alternate to stand in for the Official Delegate who is unable to attend PSTM in person. While it is preferred that arrangements for Designated Alternates be made in advance, ASPS will be able to accept the documentation at the Council of Representatives Registration Desk.
To avoid delays and assure an on-time start with quorum, Designated Alternates must be in line at the Council of Representatives Registration Desk at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the Subcouncil meeting. Further details can be found in the Council of Representatives Standard Operating Procedure. Questions can be directed to governance@plasticsurgery.org.
Governance Restructure / Council of Representatives Implementation
The Bylaws amendments that reduced the size of the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors and created the Council of Representatives structure went into effect on January 1, 2023, when the process to implement the Council of Representatives began.
Implementation Timeline
The schedule to implement the Council of Representatives has been timed so that Subcouncil Leaders are elected by August 31, 2023, and so that each Subcouncil elects two Active Members to the ASPS/PSF Nominating Committee during their Subcouncil meeting at PSTM.
The table below shows the key milestones of the implementation timeline.
|
Date |
Activity |
|
January 1, 2023 |
New ASPS Bylaws and PSF Bylaws are adopted. Bylaws amendments affecting the composition of the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors, creation of the Council of Representatives and composition of the ASPS/PSF Nominating Committee go into effect. |
|
January 4, 2023 |
Stakeholder Entity Application launched. Email messages will be distributed to state and regional societies, subspecialty societies and ASPS Forums and SIGs inviting them to apply to become "Recognized Stakeholder Entities" to one of the three Subcouncils. |
|
February 1, 2023 |
Deadline for receipt of Stakeholder Entity application |
|
March 9, 2023 |
ASPS/PSF Board of Directors meeting. The ASPS Board of Directors will be asked to vote to approve those stakeholder entity applicants that meet the requirements listed in the Process to Become Recognized Stakeholder Entity in the Council of Representatives section of this webpage. |
|
March 13, 2023 |
Stakeholder Entity Applicants will be informed whether the ASPS Board approved their application, at which time they will become Recognized Stakeholder Entities, and the number of subcouncil delegates to which they are entitled. |
|
March 27, 2023 |
Solicitation of Official Delegate names begins. Communication campaign launched to solicit the names of Official Delegates from the Recognized Stakeholder Entities. Official Delegates will serve until September 30, 2024, when the 2024 ASPS leadership term ends. |
|
May 31, 2023 |
Deadline for receipt of Official Delegate names |
|
June 26, 2023 |
Official Delegates shall be invited to apply for a Subcouncil Leadership position. |
|
July 17, 2023 |
Deadline for Official Delegates to apply for a Subcouncil Leadership position. |
|
August 7, 2023 |
Online election of Subcouncil Leadership begins |
|
September 6, 2023 |
Deadline for voting in the Subcouncil Leadership election |
|
September 8, 2023 |
Subcouncil leadership election results shall be announced. |
|
September 21, 2023 |
Official Delegates will be asked to nominate members to the Nominating Committee. Nominees must meet the established Nominating Committee criteria and do not need to be Official Delegates to any subcouncil. |
|
September 26, 2023 |
Notice of the place, day, time of the Subcouncil's meeting shall be distributed to the Official Delegates to each subcouncil. |
|
October 5, 2023 |
Deadline for nominating members to the Nominating Committee |
|
October 16, 2023 |
Notice of how to access the Subcouncil agenda will be published to Official Delegates |
|
October 26, 2023 |
1) Deadline for Recognized Stakeholder Entities to name Designated Alternates to substitute for their Official Delegate, with voting rights, at the Subcouncil meeting 2) Inaugural Subcouncil meetings in Austin and election of Subcouncil Representatives to the Nominating Committee |
|
October 29, 2023 |
2023 Leadership Term ends at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and the 2024 Leadership Term begins |
Process to Become a Recognized Stakeholder Entity in the Council of Representatives
To be recognized by ASPS as a stakeholder entity to the Subcouncil of State and Regional Societies, a minimum of 90 percent of the organization's members must be ASPS Active or Life Active Members. To be recognized by ASPS as a stakeholder entity to the Subcouncil of Subspecialty Societies, a minimum of 90 percent of the organization's members must be ASPS Active or Life Active Members or otherwise be contractually affiliated with the Society. Each SIG or Forum approved by the ASPS Board of Directors shall be recognized as a stakeholder entity to the Subcouncil of Member Sections.
On January 4, 2023, invitations were sent to the president and executive director for each state and regional society on file, each subspecialty society on file and each ASPS Forum and SIG inviting them to apply to become a Recognized Stakeholder Entity to one of the three subcouncils by February 1, 2023. Reminder messages will continue to be sent each Wednesday throughout January.
Each state or regional society, subspecialty society or contractually affiliated organization interested in becoming a Recognized Stakeholder Entity must complete an application to be accompanied by a roster of the organization's members as of the date of their application. Applicant organizations are required to submit their member roster in a specific Excel or comma-delimited format, which includes email addresses, along with their application so that the percentage of ASPS Active and Life Active Members on their roster can be verified. ASPS will use the email addresses only as a way to resolve name conflicts between the name used in the applicant organization's membership roster versus the ASPS roster. The specific fields and order are listed on the application, as well as the FAQ document posted to this webpage.
The application and roster of membership shall be vetted to ensure eligibility criteria has been met. The application of those entities that meet the eligibility criteria shall be forwarded to the ASPS Board of Directors for approval at their meeting on March 9, 2023. Those entities approved by the ASPS Board shall be assigned to a Subcouncil.
Governance Restructure History
In March 2020, the ASPS/PSF Governance Committee began exploring options to provide a wider range of opportunities for members and affiliated organizations to become more involved with the Society's decision-making process. This included considering revisions to the composition of the Boards of Directors of ASPS and The PSF.
ASPS past President Joseph E. Losee, MD, convened the ASPS Board/EC Composition Task Force ("Task Force") at the start of his presidential term in November 2020 to accelerate the work of the Governance Committee and to make recommendations on how restructuring the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors could accommodate affiliated organizations (organizations that represent specific clinical or professional interests of members within the field of plastic surgery that are established by action of the ASPS Board of Directors).
As the Task Force explored possibilities, its focus expanded to state and regional societies, subspecialty societies and member groups within ASPS (special interest groups and forums). The Task Force's work continued through 2022 as it developed the framework for the Council of Representatives, providing more opportunities for different stakeholders to provide input to the Society's governing body. Concurrent with the development of the Council of Representatives, the Task Force also recommended changes to the composition of the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors. The proposed governance restructure was laid out in the December 2021 issue of Plastic Surgery News. Town halls were conducted during the winter of 2021-22 to elicit feedback on the proposed changes, and the concept was further refined.
The ASPS/PSF Board of Directors approved the Task Force's recommendations at its March 2022 meeting, along with the timeline and steps needed to modify the Society and Foundation's bylaws to implement the revised governance structure. Society members in November 2022 were asked to vote on proposed bylaws amendments to revise the composition and reduce the size of the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors and the introduction of the ASPS/PSF Council of Representatives (the "Council"). The proposed amendments were adopted on January 1, 2023.
The new Board composition will go into effect with the 2024 leadership term, which begins October 29, 2023. The first meeting of the three Subcouncils to the Council of Representatives is expected to be held in conjunction with Plastic Surgery The Meeting 2023 in Austin, Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to access the frequently asked questions about participating in the Council of Representatives or the three subcouncils. Other questions can be directed to governance@plasticsurgery.org or by calling Peggy Pissarreck at (847) 228-3334.
Links to PSN Articles and ABM Slide Deck
- April / May 2022 President's Message (Page 6)
- December 2021 Governance Story (Cover Story/Page 17)
- Governance restructure slides from ABM 2022