[IGSMAIL-6515] Changes in the IGS Governing Board

[Urs Hugentobler]

Dear Colleagues,

Our Governing Board started into the new year with a new composition.

I warmly welcome Shailen Desai as new voting member of our Board as 
Analysis Center Representative. He is Group Supervisor and Principal 
Engineer of JPL's Orbiter and Radio Metric Systems Group, manager of 
JPL's GIPSY-OASIS Software and primary contact for the JPL Analysis 
Center of the IGS. Shailen takes the place of Bob King who is leaving 
the Board. Bob was Analysis Center Representative since 2008 and Chair 
of the Scientific Organizing Committee of our very successful past 2010 
Workshop in Newcastle. He currently serves in the SOC for the upcoming 
Workshop 2012 in Olsztyn, making his expertise available for a success 
of also our next workshop. I warmly thank him for his deep engagement in 
the Board and his professional support of the scientific organization of 
two of our workshops.

During the course of this year Yamin Dang was appointed by the GB as a 
new member. Yamin Dang is a professor of geodesy and director of the 
Institute of Geodesy and Geodynamics at the Chinese Academy of Surveying 
and Mapping in the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping of China. With 
his experience and his insight into GNSS research activities in China he 
is a very welcome Board member in view of the current rapid developments 
concerning GNSS in China. I warmly welcome him in our round.

Yoaz-Bar Sever left our Board in the course of this year as he 
transferred the Chair of the Troposphere Working Group and the 
generation of the IGS Troposphere Product to Christine Hackman from US 
Naval Observatory who joined the Board as a new member. I thank Yoaz for 
chairing the Troposphere WG since 2003, for his strong engagement in the 
Board and for sometimes initiating discussions on topics that only 
seemed clear without really being clear.

An important change in the GB concerns the position of the Analysis 
Center Coordinator, one of the most important positions in the IGS. As 
planned four years ago, when Jim Ray took over the responsibility as ACC 
from Gerd Gendt, he terminates his term and Jake Griffiths takes over 
his responsibilities as NGS continues its significant involvement with 
support of the ACC function. I want to thank Jim for his excellent work 
and unwavering effort enabling the IGS to provide the highest standard 
products to users without any interruption. See IGS Mail 6513 for a more 
detailed acknowledgement of Jim's work.

Geoff Blewitt left the Governing Board this summer. Geoff joined the 
Governing Board in 1996 as Analysis Center Representative. With a short 
gap he served the Board for a total of 14 years. He was IAG 
Representative in the IGS GB since 2003 and he served in the Executive 
Committee. I thank him for making his expertise available to the IGS GB 
over these many years and for often illuminating a discussion topic from 
an alternative point of view. The new IAG Representative is Zuheir 
Altamimi who was a regular guest in our meetings and I now warmly 
welcome in the Board as a voting member. As the contribution to the ITRF 
is one of the major IGS products I am glad to have the Head of the ITRF 
Product Center in our Board.

As immediate past Chair also John Dow left the Governing Board by the 
end of last year. He served the IGS since its start on January 1, 1994, 
i.e., for a total of 18 years! He directed the IGS as GB Chair from 
2003-2010 and owns the credits for a major share of the current healthy 
shape of the IGS. I also thank him for discretely supporting my work 
during my first year as the Chair and calling my attention if I would 
again have forgotten an important action or comment.

Finally, and most unbelievable, Gerhard Beutler left the Governing Board 
after shaping the IGS from its very beginning. He contributed a very 
significant share to the success of our Service. The IGS would not be 
where it is without the directions given - and the hard work contributed 
- by Gerhard over these many years. Certainly it is difficult not only 
for me to imagine our meetings without his concise and diplomatic 
comments helping focusing our discussions and sharpening our directions, 
and without his famous sense of humor. I am glad that I am still easily 
able to get Gerhard's advice on issues concerning the IGS using our 
common secret (Swiss) language.

On behalf of the IGS I sincerely thank all leaving Governing Board 
members for their work, effort and expertise dedicated to the steering 
body of the IGS, thus shaping the direction, strategy and development of 
our Service. I look forward to still receive their comments and advise 
concerning the IGS. Their engagement was honored at the GGOS reception 
immediately after the IGS Governing Board meeting in San Francisco.

With best regards and best wishes for the new year
Urs Hugentobler
Chair, IGS Governing Board

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