Diplomates are encouraged to consider two leadership opportunities.
In February, ACVS will call for nominations for president-elect and regents and call for applications for Certification Council (council) positions. Appointment to the council is contingent upon ACVS membership approval in the coming months of the proposed bylaws that would establish the council. ACVS will begin the application process before the membership vote to allow prospective council members to plan to attend the 2026 Surgery Summit in Charlotte, NC.
ACVS Board of Regents Nominations
The ACVS Nominating Committee will assemble a pool of candidates for this year’s election of president-elect (large animal) and regents (one large animal and one small animal), representative of ACVS’s changing membership. The Nominating Committee reviews nominations, either from a fellow Diplomate or self-nomination, and submits recommendations to the Board of Regents (BOR) to determine the final slate of candidates for a membership vote. Incoming BOR members will be required to attend the October 6–7 in-person board meeting prior to the start of the Surgery Summit in Charlotte.
If the membership approves the proposed bylaws, as of January 1, 2027, the BOR’s primary focus will be providing strategic guidance and high-level oversight of membership services and activities and the operation of the College. The shift in responsibilities will create opportunities for Diplomates to bring a wider variety of experiences to the BOR. All nominees will be required to complete a Nominee Application that will ask for additional information on any current or past leadership and/or volunteer experience with organizations other than ACVS that will be helpful in the candidate review process and meeting BOR responsibilities.
The call for nominations will open in late February.
Applications for the ACVS Certification Council
The BOR will call for volunteers to serve on the inaugural council. The council will oversee all aspects of the certification process, including the related committees. Experience on the Examination, Fellowship, Maintenance of Certification, Residency Program Compliance, or Resident Credentialing Committees is required. Diplomates who have previously served on one of these certification committees or the BOR within the past ten years are encouraged to apply for member and officer positions.
Incoming council members should plan to attend the Surgery Summit in Charlotte for an onboarding meeting. Terms for inaugural council members will be staggered for two, three, or four years and will begin on January 1, 2027. Council members are expected to attend meetings throughout the year: one in-person meeting, two half-day virtual meetings, and four shorter virtual meetings. ACVS will reimburse council members in accordance with ACVS’s expense reimbursement policies for travel to in-person meetings.
Applications for six ACVS Diplomate council positions will open in mid-February.
