Founded in 1931, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. The society represents 92 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States, one of them being the recently named president-elect, Dr. Steven Williams, who will become the first African American president. His appointment comes at a time when diversity and inclusion in medicine is as important as ever. ⁠ ⁠ According to NewBeauty, as part of his tenure, the Ivy league-trained, highly accomplished surgeon says this honor is a culmination of many years of hard work, and it’s not lost on him that his new role shows how critical representation is for the future of aesthetic medicine. ⁠ ⁠ “I think that we all respond and relate to people in some ways in positions of leadership that that resemble us,” explains Dr. Williams (@surgeoninblack). “The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is an amazing organization and obviously surgery is my life, my specialty and my passion. However, in leadership there was really a little bit of a deficit and a lack of diversity, not just for African Americans, but also for women and other underrepresented groups. It has been part of my personal mission to change that, to do my part and to be able to hold that leadership role and at some point, to help others.” ⁠ ⁠ Click the 🔗 link in our bio to read more about Dr. WIlliams.