2025 Society Elections
Nominees were considered to fill the following positions opening on the Board:
- Secretary (2025-2028)
- Replacement for Kenneth Tanabe, MD, FSSO (ascending to President-Elect)
- 2 Board Members (2025-2028)
- Replacement for Bryan Clary, MBA, FSSO
- Replacement for Cristina Ferrone, MD, MS, FSSO
- 1 Community Practice Representative (2025-2028)
- Replacement for Jill Onesti, MD, FSSO
- 1 Director-at-Large (2025-2028)
- Replacement for Christina Roland, MD, MS, FSSO
Secretary
Herbert J. Zeh III, M.D., is Chair of the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Hall and Mary Lucile Shannon Distinguished Chair in Surgery. Dr. Zeh earned his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his surgical residency and fellowship training in advanced gastrointestinal surgery and surgical oncology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Prior to joining UT Southwestern in 2018, Dr. Zeh served as the Watson Family Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgical Oncology at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, co-director of the UPMC Pancreatic Cancer Center. Dr. Zeh and his colleagues accumulated and published extensively on one of the world’s largest experiences with robotic pancreatic surgery. This work included several novel observations around surgical training and proficiency on this platform. Dr. Zeh has conducted numerous investigator initiated clinical trials examining novel treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer. He is a member of a multiple R01 funded translational research lab that examines damage-associated molecular pattern molecules in pancreatic cancer. His CV includes over 350 peer reviewed publications, reviews and book chapters. Dr. Zeh is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Surgical Association, Southern Surgical and the Society of Clinical Surgery.
Board Member
Dr. Katz is Professor and Chair of the department of Surgical Oncology, and holds the Lockton Distinguished Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research. An international leader in the treatment of pancreatic and periampullary malignancies, he has led two national cooperative group studies of the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, has run several single-institution and multi-institution clinical trials, has co-authored over 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and has served as senior author for national clinical guidelines for the treatment of potentially curable pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Katz has served national leadership roles within major surgical and cancer-related societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). In the ACS, he has led efforts to improve the quality of care provided to people with cancer worldwide through the development and implementation of technical surgical standards.
Board Member
Amanda L. Kong, MD, MS, is a professor of surgery and section chief of breast surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Kong received her undergraduate degree at Brown University and her MD from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She completed her general surgery residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City followed by a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2008 as an assistant professor where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology in 2010.
Dr. Kong is a member of many prestigious societies including the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American College of Surgeons. She served as the Chair of the Breast Fellowship Training Committee of the Society of Surgical Oncology which oversees all the breast training programs in the United States and is currently the Vice Chair of the Education Council for the SSO. She is also the State Chair for Wisconsin for the Commission on Cancer. Dr. Kong is also a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Surgery. Among her many honors, Dr. Kong has been awarded the Medical College of Wisconsin Outstanding Medical Student Teaching Award several times as well as the Excellence in Professionalism Award from the faculty practice in 2016.
Dr. Kong is a breast surgical oncologist with a clinical and research focus in breast cancer and benign breast diseases. She is the surgical lead for the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program through IBC Connect, a consortium developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center. She joined the CAPS group (formerly known as PCOR) while completing her Master’s Degree in Epidemiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her clinical practice provides the foundation for her research to help improve the care of her patients. She has an interest in quality of care and health care disparities with respect to breast cancer outcomes. Her current research focuses on the relationship between hospital volume and breast cancer care, including differences in processes of care in high- and low-volume hospitals and their impact on mortality through the use of large administrative databases and tumor registries. She also has a research focus on the treatment of older breast cancer patients, specifically balancing quality of life and maximizing treatment outcomes. She has published numerous peer reviewed articles and book chapters in addition to being a sought after mentor to students and residents.
Community Practice Surgery Representative
Toan Nguyen, MD serves as Section Chief of Breast Surgery at Westchester Medical Center. In this role, he oversees breast surgery services and collaborate closely with colleagues in plastic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, and women’s health to provide comprehensive care.
Dr. Nguyen is a board-certified, Mayo Clinic fellowship-trained surgeon who has dedicated his entire career to caring for patients with benign and malignant breast diseases. His areas of specialty include oncoplastic breast surgery, nipple-sparing mastectomy, brachytherapy, lymphovenous bypass, and gynecomastia.
Before joining Westchester Medical Center, Dr. Nguyen served as the Medical Director of Lakeland (FL) Regional Health’s Comprehensive Breast Program. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), a medical degree from St. George’s University, general surgery training at the University of Buffalo, and a breast surgical oncology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Nguyen has authored book chapters and published research in peer-reviewed journals on assorted topics, including DCIS, outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment, factors contributing to lymphedema, axillary management in patients with breast cancer, surgical innovations, and ethical issues in breast cancer. He is also a sought-after regional and national speaker, addressing subjects related to breast diseases, genetic testing, surgical metrics, and career satisfaction.
In addition to his clinical ability, Dr. Nguyen holds leadership roles in many professional organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Breast Surgeons and was the previous Chair of the society’s Ethics Committee. Furthermore, he is a member of the Executive Committee for the American College of Surgeons Cancer Surgery Standards Program (CSSP) and holds the position of Vice-Chair for the Standards Development Committee. In this role, he oversees the ongoing development of evidence-based surgical protocols for all cancer surgeries performed in the United States. He is also on the Executive Committee for the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and is the Lead Site Reviewer, which provides accreditation for Breast Centers across the United States.