Governor

The Board of Governors is integral to our administration as an organization. Governors represent you, the Fellows of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), and are the official communications link between you and our Board of Regents.

There are three types of Governors:

• Governor-At-Large
• Specialty Society Governor
• Military Governor

There are five Pillars and 13 workgroups that fall under the Board of Governors leadership:

Member Services Pillar

• Chapter Activities Domestic Workgroup
• Chapter Activities International Workgroup
• Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards Workgroup
• B/G Seats on Committees:
• Committee on Diversity Issues
• International Relations Committee (IRC) of ACS
• Resident and Associate Society (RAS)
• Women in Surgery Committee (WiSC)
• Young Fellows Association (YFA)

Education Pillar

• Continuing Education Workgroup
• Patient Education Workgroup
• Surgical Training Workgroup
• B/G Seats on Committees:
• Clinical Congress Program Committee
• Committee on Allied Health
• Committee on Continuous Professional Development
• Committee on Emerging Surgical Technology and Education
• Committee on Ethics
• Committee on Medical Student Education
• Committee on Patient Education
• Committee on Resident Education

Advocacy and Health Policy Pillar

• Coalition Workgroup
• Health Policy and Advocacy Workgroup
• B/G Seats on Committees:
  • Health Policy and Advocacy Group (HPAG)
  • Health Policy Advisory Council (HPAC)
  • Legislative Committee

Quality, Research, and Optimal Patient Care Pillar

• Best Practices Workgroup
• Physician Competency and Health Workgroup
• Surgical Care Delivery Workgroup
• B/G Seats on Committees:
  • Committee on Cancer
  • Committee on Perioperative Care
  • Committee on Trauma

Communication Pillar

• Newsletter Workgroup
• Survey Workgroup
• B/G Representative to ACS Website
• B/G Representative to the Bulletin Brief

Committee to Study the Fiscal Affairs of the College

Chapter Process for Appointing a Governor

1. Chapter Secretaries, with a copy to the Chapter Executive Director, will be notified via e-mail of a pending vacancy of Governor.
2. The Chapter Secretary acquires nominations for Governor to be presented to the Chapter’s governing body.
3. The governing body will select two individuals from the nominations—one nominee for Governor and an alternate.
4. The nominee’s and alternate’s information is then forwarded to the Board of Governors Administrator by June 30. The ACS Division of Member Services has put together a form and requirements for this purpose.
5. Include the nominee's CV. The alternate is not required to submit this item.
6. These two names and accompanying information are then presented to the Nominating Committee of the Fellows for review and approval.

Specialty Society Process for Appointing a Governor

1. The specialty society executive director will be notified via e-mail of a pending vacancy of Governor.
2. The specialty society executive director acquires nominations for Governor to be presented to the Chapter’s governing body.
3. The governing body will select two individuals from the nominations—one nominee for Governor and an alternate.
4. The nominee’s and alternate’s information is then forwarded to the Board of Governors Administrator by June 30. ACS Division of Member Services has put together a form and requirements for this purpose.
5. Include the nominee's CV. The alternate is not required to submit this item.
6. These two names and accompanying information are then presented to the Nominating Committee of the Fellows for review and approval.

Considerations for Appointing a Governor

• Open, deliberate, advertised nomination to the society or chapter membership.
• Outline and address issues of diversity (gender, race, geographic, rural/urban, academic/private) to promote equal opportunity for qualified candidates.

Governors can serve up to two three-year terms with either their chapter or specialty society.

A Governor’s responsibilities fall under three main headings.

Attend

• Attend Clinical Congress in the fall.
• Attend the Spring Leadership Summit (spring meeting attendance is not required for international governors).
• Attend chapter and/or specialty society meetings.

Communicate

• Provide bidirectional communication between the Board of Governors and your constituents.
• Provide report to Chapter or Specialty Society and Board of Governors Executive and Communications Committees.
• Promote ACS Fellowship in state and in specialty society.
• Welcome and engage new Fellows into the ACS from your area/organization.
• Contribute to the ACS Communities.

Participate

• Actively participate in a minimum of one B/G workgroup.
• Participate in B/G meetings, Convocation, and Annual Meeting of Members at the annual Clinical Congress.
• Complete annual survey.
• Participate in local Committee on Applicants meetings and interviews.
• Attend quarterly webinars.

• The time commitment for a Governor varies depending on which workgroup they choose to participate.
• Members of the Executive Committee, who serve as either Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, or Pillar Lead are given significant duties and therefore the time commitment is much more extensive.
• Governors are expected to attend two face-to-face meetings per year: one at Clinical Congress and one in the spring.