SETAC was founded in 1979 in the United States and quickly evolved into a truly global scientific society promoting Environmental Quality through Science®. With the establishment of geographic units in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America by 1999, the Society moved to create a 15-person SETAC World Council (SWC) in 2002 to promote SETAC and its tripartite governance approach as a global organization and to foster international communication on environmental issues through research and education. The SWC facilitates worldwide outreach to environmental scientists, engineers, and managers and encourages development of additional SETAC member groups. The geographic units are represented on the Council, with representation keyed to their relative shares of membership. Africa joined the global organization as a full-fledged geographic unit in May 2012. The SETAC Global Executive Director position was created in 2006 to support the development of a strong program of science and activities around the world and to coordinate the programs of the geographic units.