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<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">Dear Colleagues,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">The term of Jim Ray as
Analysis Center Coordinator comes to an end by the end of this
year and - as announced
in the previous IGS Mail by Jim -<span style=""> </span>Jake
Griffiths will take over the ACC responsibility. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">For the last four years Jim
did an exceptional job, devoting his deep understanding of all
aspects from
signal acquisition to data analysis and product generation and
validation to
the ACC task. Our all impression was that he checked each single
line in each
combination protocol, and we all remember his immediate reaction
if any quality
metrics showed an anomalous behavior. He continuously analyzed
the IGS products
for inconsistencies and time series of transformation
parameters, orbit
overlaps, Earth rotation parameters, station coordinates, etc.
for anomalous
frequencies, indications for overconstraining, impact of
inconsistencies. And he
never ceased to push the Analysis Centers to further improve the
quality and
consistency of their products. With this unwavering effort he
enabled the IGS
to provide the highest standard products to users without
interruption. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">On behalf of the IGS I want
to sincerely thank you, Jim, for your outstanding work and wish
you will still
look at the IGS products from different angles and tell us your
comments and
advises. I also want to thank Jake Griffiths for his excellent
support as well
as NGS for the significant involvement for one of the most
important functions
in the IGS.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">During the course of this
year the IGS received an excellent proposal from NGS to continue
to support the
ACC function for the next term of four years, a proposal that
was unanimously
approved by the Governing Board. I am very glad that Jake
Griffith takes over
as our Analysis Center Coordinator and successor of Jim Ray with
the beginning
of 2012 with the support of Kevin Choi</span><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">,
focusing on the core ACC tasks</span><span style="font-size:
10pt; font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">. I wish
both much success with their important role. I sincerely thank
NGS for the
continued commitment with significant resources for the IGS that
demonstrates
the importance that NGS attributes to the ACC task. And I look
forward to a continued
fruitful collaboration and close interaction with our new ACC
and to a further advance of the quality of
the IGS products!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Arial;" lang="EN-US">With best wishes for the New
Year<br>
Urs Hugentobler<br>
Chairman</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family:
Arial;" lang="EN-US"><br>
IGS Governing Board</span></p>
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