The 2026 ACS Nominating Committee of the Board of Regents (NCBR), Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors (NCBG), and Nominating Committee of the Fellows (NCF) are accepting nominations through February 13, 2026, for leadership positions in the College.
The nominating committees recognize the importance of achieving representation of all who practice surgery and encourage consideration of women and other underrepresented minorities for all leadership positions.
Any attempt by a candidate or on behalf of a candidate to contact or influence members of the NCBR, NCBG, or NCF will be viewed negatively and may result in disqualification.
Officers-Elect Candidates
The 2026 NCF will select nominees for three Officer-Elect positions of the ACS:
- President-Elect
- First Vice-President-Elect
- Second Vice-President-Elect
Learn more about the roles, duties, and time commitment involved for these Officer positions at facs.org/about-acs/governance/get-involved/officers.
Criteria for Consideration
The NCF will consider the following when evaluating candidates:
- ACS membership
- Demonstration of outstanding integrity and an unquestioned devotion to the highest principles of surgical practice
- Leadership qualities, such as service and active participation on ACS committees or in other areas of the College
All nominations must include:
- A letter of nomination
- A current curriculum vitae
- One personal letter of support is required; a maximum of three is allowed
In addition, nominations for President-Elect must include a personal statement from the candidate detailing their ACS service, interest in the position, and vision for the College’s future.
Entities such as surgical specialty societies, ACS Advisory Councils, ACS committees, and ACS chapters that want to provide a letter of nomination must share a description of their selection process and the total list of applicants reviewed.
Nominations must be submitted by Friday, February 13, 2026, to officerandbrnominations@facs.org.
For more information about Officers-Elect nominations, contact Emily Kalata at 312-202-5360 or ekalata@facs.org.
Secretary Candidates
The 2026 NCBR will select nominees for the ACS Secretary position.
Secretary Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Secretary include:
- Serving a 3-year term
- Serving on the ACS Insurance Trust Committee
- Overseeing the minutes of the Annual Business Meetings of the Members, giving notices in accordance with the provisions of law and the Bylaws, keeping the records and corporate seal, and performing such other duties as may from time to time be assigned by the Board of Regents (BoR)
- Working with designated staff members to ensure that the official minutes of meetings accurately reflect the discussion of the BoR
- Having the co-responsibility with the Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer to provide such oversight
Criteria for Consideration
The NCBR will consider the following when evaluating candidates:
- ACS membership
- Demonstration of outstanding integrity and medical statesmanship, along with impeccable adherence to the highest principles of surgical practice
- Leadership qualities that might be reflected by service and active participation on ACS committees or in other areas of the College
All nominations must include:
- A letter of nomination
- A current curriculum vitae
- A personal statement from the candidate detailing ACS service and interest in the position
- Name of one individual who can serve as a reference
The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, February 13, 2026, via an online form at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Secretary26.
Applications submitted without the requested information will not be considered.
For more information about Secretary nominations, contact Ken Puttbach at 312-202-5763 or kputtbach@facs.org.
Board of Regents Candidates
The 2026 NCBG will evaluate applications for election and reelection to the BoR. The NCBG will select nominees for two vacancies on the BoR to be filled at Clinical Congress 2026.
For information only, the current members of the BoR who will be considered for reelection to their second or third terms are (all MD, FACS): Francoise P. Chagnon, Annesley (AJ) W. Copeland, Daniel L. Dent, Liane S. Feldman, and David J. Welsh.
Learn more about the roles, duties, and time commitment involved for Regent positions at facs.org/about-acs/governance/get-involved/regent.
Criteria for Consideration
The NCBG will consider the following when reviewing candidates for potential nomination to the BoR.
- ACS membership
- Demonstration of outstanding integrity and an unquestioned devotion to the highest principles of surgical practice
- Leadership qualities such as service and active participation on ACS committees or in other areas of the College
Only individuals who are currently, and are expected to remain, in active surgical practice for their entire term (up to three 3-year terms) may be nominated for election or reelection to the BoR.
The NCBG recognizes the importance of the BoR representing all who practice surgery in both academic and community practice, regardless of practice location or configuration. Consideration will be given in this nomination cycle to the following disciplines:
- Acute care surgery (trauma surgery and emergency general surgery)
- Burn and critical care surgery
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- General surgery
- Surgical oncology
- Transplant surgery
Nominations not meeting these criteria will be accepted for review by the NCBG in the event of an unexpected vacancy.
All nominations must include:
- A letter of nomination
- A personal statement from the candidate detailing their ACS service and interest in the position
- A current curriculum vitae
- One personal letter of support is required; a maximum of three is allowed.
Entities such as surgical specialty societies, ACS Advisory Councils, ACS committees, and ACS chapters that wish to provide a letter of nomination must provide at least two nominees, and a description of their selection process, along with the total list of applicants reviewed.
Nominations must be submitted by Friday, February 13, 2026, to officerandbrnominations@facs.org.
For more information about BoR nominations, contact Emily Kalata at 312-202-5360 or ekalata@facs.org.
