NEW YORK, NY (May 22, 2003) — Robert W. Bernard, MD, of White Plains, NY, is the new President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). ASAPS is the leading national organization of American Board of Plastic Surgery certified plastic surgeons specializing in cosmetic surgery of the face and body.

Dr. Bernard has served as ASAPS President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Historian, and Parliamentarian, and is Past Editor-in-Chief of Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the peer-reviewed ASAPS clinical journal. He is Past President of the New York Regional Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Past Chair of the Plastic Surgery Section of the New York State Medical Society and Westchester County Medical Society.

"ASAPS is at the forefront of change within the field of cosmetic plastic surgery," says Dr. Bernard. "Our primary mission is to enhance patient care through providing continuing medical education to qualified aesthetic plastic surgeons. We also have a responsibility to educate the public about the safety and benefits of cosmetic surgery, and to help people make better-informed choices."

New officers of the Executive Committee elected at the Annual Business Luncheon at the Society's recent Annual Meeting in Boston are:

President-Elect: Peter B. Fodor, MD, of Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Fodor is Associate Clinical Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UCLA Medical Center. He has served as Vice President of ASAPS, as well as Treasurer, Member-at-Large, and as a member of the Body Contouring Committee. He is Past President of the Lipoplasty Society of North America (LSNA) and is on the Board of the California Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Vice President: Mark L. Jewell, MD, of Eugene, OR. Dr. Jewell has served as ASAPS Secretary as well as Parliamentarian. He was Chair of the ASAPS Communications Commission from May 1997 to May 2002, and has served as Chair of the Public Education, Practice Relations and Electronic Communications Committees. He is on the Editorial Board of Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Dr. Jewell is Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at Oregon Health and Science University.

Secretary: Foad Nahai, MD, of Atlanta, GA. Dr. Nahai has served on the ASAPS Judicial Council since 1997 and as a board member since 1999. He is Vice Chair of the ASAPS Education Commission as well as the Program Committee that develops accredited Continuing Medical Education meetings for plastic surgeons. He is on the Editorial Board of Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Dr. Nahai was recently elected to the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is the current Secretary General of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Treasurer: James M. Stuzin, MD, of Miami, FL. Dr. Stuzin is Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He has served previously as ASAPS Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and as Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee. Dr. Stuzin is the current Chair of the Education Commission and Program Committee. He is a Director of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.