************************************************************************ IERS Message No. 222 January 15, 2013 ************************************************************************ Changes in IERS Dear colleagues, The year 2013 has brought several changes to the IERS organization and leadership: - Chopo Ma's second term as Chair of the IERS Directing Board ended in 2012. According to the Terms of Reference, he could not be re-elected. The new Chair of the IERS Directing Board will be Brian Luzum of US Naval Observatory, who has been already very active in various functions in IERS before. - IDS has named Jerome Saunier as the new second representative to the IERS Directing Board replacing Bruno Garayt. - IGS has named Steven Fisher as the second representative to the IERS Directing Board. Steven represented IGS previously from 2009 to 2010. - Both the IERS Conventions Centre and the ICRS Centre have two primary scientists, one of them is the Centre's representative to the Directing Board for a term of three or four years, correspondingly. Starting with 1 January 2013, Brian Luzum took over this function from Gerard Petit for the Conventions Centre, and Ralph Gaume from Jean Souchay for the ICRS Centre. - In December 2012, the IERS Directing Board confirmed the creation of a new ITRS Combination Centre at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be chaired by Richard Gross (see www.iers.org/ITRSCC). We wish to thank all outgoing members of the Directing Board and especially its former Chair, Chopo Ma, for the close and fruitful cooperation during the last years. Please find hereafter messages from Chopo Ma and Brian Luzum. Bernd Richter and Wolfgang Dick IERS Central Bureau To the IERS community, Through the collaborative spirit, dedication to improvement, and hard work of the components and working groups of the IERS much has been accomplished in the eight years during which I had the privilege of serving as Chair of the IERS Directing Board. The latest realizations of the Conventions, ITRF and ICRF are firmly established and widely recognized as the standards in their respective areas. These products along with the Earth orientation series that are the historical foundation of the IERS affirm that the IERS is well deserving of its name. Like my predecessor I would like to thank all the members of the IERS Directing Board, especially the Analysis Coordinators Markus Rothacher and Tom Herring and the Director of the Central Bureau Bernd Richter, for doing the actual work of the IERS. Thanks are also due to the staffs of the IERS Centers and the members of the working groups whose activities support the Service and to their home institutes that contribute to the common good. Although much progress has been made the future challenges are great as the scientific and societal needs for the IERS products demand radical advances in accuracy, resolution and latency. For the IERS to achieve these goals will require scientific insight and organizational agility. I leave this in the capable hands of my successor Brian Luzum and wish him all the best in his new position. Chopo Ma Chair of the IERS Directing Board 2005-2012 To the IERS community, I am honored to have been elected to serve as the Chair of the IERS Directing Board. I would like to start by thanking the past Chairs of the IERS DB, and particularly Chopo Ma, for their service to the IERS. I would also like to thank the IERS Analysis Coordinator, Tom Herring, and the Director of the IERS Central Bureau, Bernd Richter, as well as all members past and present of the IERS Directing Board. Their efforts have helped to lead the IERS to its current success. One of the reasons that the IERS remains a vital part of the scientific community is the emphasis on providing a reliable service. To continue to be successful, it must provide the data and information needed by its customers. Please continue to provide feedback so that we can continue to guide the IERS in a direction that will be most beneficial to the IERS users. The direction of ongoing research will lead to new opportunities for the IERS. I look forward to working with all of the components of the IERS to meet these challenges as we continue to refine and expand the products that have made this a fundamental service to the international scientific community. Brian Luzum Chair, IERS Directing Board ************************************************************************ IERS Messages are edited and distributed by the IERS Central Bureau. If not stated otherwise, the IERS is only the distributor of the message and is not responsible for its content. To submit texts for distribution and to subscribe or unsubscribe, please write to . Archives: http://www.iers.org/Messages/ ************************************************************************