ASPS/PSF Governance Restructure

ASPS/PSF Governance Restructure Organizational Chart

Click the image to enlarge the chart.

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 Dec. 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 Jan. 1, 2023.

The new Board composition will go into effect with the 2024 leadership term, which begins Oct. 30, 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.

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.

The following ASPS member entities are grandfathered into the Subcouncil of Member Sections, but must still complete an application to be recognized stakeholder entities.

Medical Student Forum
Military Forum
Plastic Surgeons of Chinese Descent Forum
PRIDE Forum
Residents and Fellows Forum
Women Plastic Surgeons Forum
Young Plastic Surgeons Forum

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 in good standing within their organization at the end of the prior ASPS governance year. That year begins at the conclusion of the prior term's Annual Business Meeting. 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.

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.

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 Business Meeting and continue until the conclusion of the next Annual Business 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 Business 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.

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.

Subcouncil Meetings During PSTM in Austin

The three Subcouncils (State and Regional Societies, Subspecialty Societies and Member Sections) are tentatively scheduled to hold their inaugural Subcouncil Meetings on Thursday morning, Oct. 26, 2023. Recognized Stakeholder Entities will be required to name their Official Delegates by May 31, 2023, but they are able to 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.

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 Oct. 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.

Effective Oct. 30, 2023, when the 2024 leadership term begins, the PSF Board of Directors will be comprised of the same 16 members as the ASPS Board of Directors, plus up to three public members who serve only on the PSF Board of Directors.

Governance Restructure / Council of Representatives Implementation

The Bylaws amendments that reduce the size of the ASPS and PSF Boards of Directors and create the Council of Representatives structure went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, when the process to implement the Council of Representatives began. The Nominating Committee will no longer solicit applications for the ASPS/PSF Board of Director positions that have been eliminated (subspecialty representatives, member-at-large and international representative).

Implementation Timeline

The schedule to implement the Council of Representatives has been timed so that Subcouncil Leaders are elected by Aug. 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 Sept. 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 1, 2023	Online election of Subcouncil Leadership begins
August 31, 2023	Deadline for voting in the Subcouncil Leadership election
September 7, 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 30, 2023	2023 Leadership Term ends at the conclusion of the Annual Business 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 Jan. 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 Feb. 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 March 9, 2023, meeting. Those entities approved by the ASPS Board shall be assigned to a Subcouncil.

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

ASPS/PSF Governance Restructure