ASDS member physicians voted for new leaders to step into the offices of Vice President and Treasurer, as well as three Board of Directors members and an ASDS Nominating Committee member. Their terms begin on Friday, Oct. 18 during the Annual Membership Meeting.
2024 Annual Membership Meeting
2024 Election Results
Schaumburg, Ill., Nov. 12, 2024 – The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) is pleased to announce the results of its 2024 election. This year, ASDS members voted for the Office of Vice President, Office of Treasurer, three Board of Directors and one ASDS Nominating Committee member. Their terms and responsibilities officially began at the Annual Membership Meeting on Friday, Oct. 18 in Orlando, Florida, where Seth L. Matarasso, MD, discussed the successes of the past year and introduced the Society’s new strategic plan. These individuals elected to serve as officers and directors of the Society shall serve in the same office of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) for the same tenure.
2024-25 Officers:
President — M. Laurin Council, MD, MBA
President-Elect —Kavita Mariwalla, MD
Vice President — Deirdre Hooper, MD
Secretary — Anthony Rossi, MD
Treasurer — Anna Bar, MD
Immediate Past President — Seth L. Matarasso, MD
Office of Vice President
The Vice President will ascend to President-Elect in 2025-26 and to President in 2026-27.
Deirdre Hooper, MD, New Orleans, Louisiana — “I am honored to be elected the next ASDS Vice President. I will bring an effective style of leadership in which I collect information, ask pertinent questions and listen to all voices. I am passionate about the success and future of ASDS for our future members. Specifically, I know we need to continue to support advocacy for our members and our patients, and we need to preserve our identity as experts. We will need to strategize the best advocacy areas to target our efforts and, importantly, increase member engagement both financially and in conversations with our legislators. A pressing challenge facing us is how we want to drive the conversation surrounding non-physician injectors. How do we proceed with our industry relationships in an environment where non-physician injectors are increasingly supported by industry? This is a complex issue and will require a fair, balanced and long-ranging plan led by our Board. A critical part of our success is the respect we have earned for maintaining the highest level of educational prestige. In the current landscape of increasing numbers of meetings and options for remote and in-person learning, we must constantly evaluate and adapt to retain our status as THE educational leaders. The great news is that our members have the expertise to make this happen. I am honored and humbled to lead the organization and will make every effort to continue the vision of this organization I am so proud to call home.”
Office of Treasurer
The Treasurer will serve a three-year term from 2024-27.
Anna Bar, MD, Portland, Oregon — “My vision for ASDS is to continue as an organization that feels small yet impacts all of its members, as well as the specialty of dermatology. I pledge to uphold the highest standards of financial integrity and accountability. I am committed to working with fellow Board members to ensure that our financial decisions align with the overarching goals and values of our Society. Together, let us continue to steer ASDS toward a prosperous and sustainable future, built upon a foundation of fiscal responsibility and prudent stewardship.”
Board of Directors
The new members of the Board of Directors will serve a three-year term from 2024-27.
- Diana Bolotin, MD, PhD, Chicago, Illinois — “I feel that our membership and their engagement with the Society has been vital to the success and promotion of our specialty and has continued to move us closer to achieving our goals. Clarity of strategic vision plans should continue to include member engagement and collaboration to creatively meet the challenges in the present and future.”
- H. William Higgins, II, MD, MBE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — “The future of our Society, and, more importantly, our specialty, depends on advocacy for key issues such as scope of practice of non-physician healthcare providers, insurance reimbursement and branding of dermatologists to increase public awareness of our specialty. Improving legislative efforts among our members, state societies and partnering with other national societies with similar interests is one of my priorities.”
- Valencia Thomas, MD, Houston, Texas — “Our most pressing issue, as always, is remaining relevant to the needs of dermatologic surgeons and patients. Within the house of medicine, we must listen, evolve and persist. Our journal, Dermatologic Surgery, remains central to our mission, as is our commitment to residents and continuing education. My goal will be to build on the organization’s past successes to remain inclusive, welcoming and a source of truth for procedural dermatology.”
Resident Representative to the Boards of Directors
The appointed Resident Representative will serve a two-year term from 2024-26.
Ajay Nair Sharma, MD, MBA, Irvine, California — “Drawing on extensive leadership experience, I offer a creative and unifying skillset focused on driving excellence within our specialty.” Dr. Sharma is Chief Resident at the University of California at Irvine (UCI), where he also completed his Master of Business Administration and Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science degrees. He has held several leadership positions at UCI and AAD, had a Top 10 Skin Cancer & Reconstruction Abstract at the 2023 ASDS Annual Meeting, has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed publications, wrote the book Diary of a Medical Student and created two 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
ASDS Nominating Committee
Members of this committee oversee the ASDS/A annual election and candidate selection. The elected member of the ASDS Nominating Committee will serve a three-year term from 2024-27.
Girish S. Munavalli, MD, MHS, Charlotte, North Carolina — “The future of ASDS lies in the hands of capable leaders who can navigate the evolving landscape of dermatologic surgery. It is crucial that we have leaders who are not only adept at addressing these issues but are also visionaries who can guide us toward sustainable growth and innovation.”
