The Aesthetic Society has elected Nashville, Tenn.-based, board-certified plastic surgeon Melinda Haws, MD, as the new president of the 2,600-member-strong organization. Haws‘ leadership team will focus on advancing The Aesthetic Society’s technology strategy and expanding membership and positioning the society for the future.

“I am thrilled to serve as president of this well-loved organization with a long history of dedicated membership and partners,” says Haws. “My goal in leading The Aesthetic Society is to build on the achievements of the past 55 years and maintain the high level of standards we are known for in education and patient safety in aesthetic surgery. I plan to expand our membership and accelerate our impact in the technology space as well as bring you a meeting not to be missed in Vancouver 2024.”

Haws is a a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as well as the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. She received her medical degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 1991. In her training, she completed a six-year combined general surgery/plastic surgery residency at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, Illinois. 

She then went to Nashville for a six-month breast and aesthetic fellowship with Nashville Plastic Surgery. After working as an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Haws returned to Nashville in the spring of 2002 to join her best friend, Mary Gingrass, MD, in practice and The Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville, a practice that specializes in breast enhancement and body contouring.

In addition to Haws’ appointment, other newly named Aesthetic Society officers serving on the executive committee include:

President-Elect of The Aesthetic Society: Kiya Movassaghi, MD, FACS 

Movassaghi has been a member of the society since 2006. Based in Eugene, Ore., Movassaghi came to Eugene in 2002 after 14 years in Boston where he completed his medical and surgical training at Harvard Medical School. His practice focuses on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. 

Moreover, Movassaghi is a clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Medicine in Portland. He specializes in the latest techniques, including laser and endoscopic procedures with minimal scars, and has authored numerous publications in scientific and plastic surgery journals.

Vice President: Tracy Pfeifer, MD

A double-board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in aesthetic plastic surgery, Pfeifer opened her Upper East Side Park Avenue practice in 1999, fulfilling her dream of a boutique aesthetic surgery practice for women. She opened her second office location in the Hamptons, N.Y., in 2011.

Treasurer: Jamil Ahmad, MD

Ahmad is a plastic surgeon and the director of research and education at The Plastic Surgery Clinic in Toronto, which he specializes in rhinoplasty, facial rejuvenation procedures, breast surgery, abdominoplasty, body contouring after weight loss, liposuction, fat transfer, and revisional aesthetic surgery. Moreover, Ahmad is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and enjoys privileges at the University Health Network, as well as Women;s College Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital. 

Secretary: Nolan Karp, MD

Karp is a professor of plastic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and vice chair of the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery. He is the chief of plastic surgery at NYU-Tisch Hospital and directs the breast service, in addition to directing the American Board of Plastic Surgery. 

Karp has served may roles with The Aesthetic Society over the last 20 years, including program chair for the annual meeting, chair of finance and investment, chair of the Aesthetic One Committee, chair of the resident’s business meeting, and member-at-large on the board of both The Aesthetic Society and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation. Karp specializes in breast and body-contouring plastic surgery.