From the editor-in-chief November 2014

Abstract

In mid-September, the IEEE AESS Board of Governors held its fall conference in St. Louis, MO. One of the items on the agenda included electing a new Vice President of Publications beginning January 2015. I would like to announce that Dr. Peter Willett, our current VP, will be completing his tenure at the end of this year and he will be succeeded by Dr. Dale Blair. I hold both of these individuals in very high esteem, both professionally and personally. Dr. Willett's term extends three years, starting January 1, 2012 and ending December 31, 2014. Prior to this position, Peter was the Editor-In-Chief for the IEEE AESS Transactions for 6 years, January 2006 to December 2012, and before that he was the Associate Editor for Fusion/Tracking for the IEEE Transactions on AES. This represents just a small sampling of his volunteer work. As EIC of the AESS Magazine, I came to know Peter and his deep dedication to the IEEE AES Society particularly in the area of publications. His role was strictly as a volunteer yet each new assignment he took on required increasing levels of time and attention. You'd never know that working with him though, because he took it all in stride and continued to provide the best service to the society and the publications that he possibly could. As VP of Pubs, he continued to directly support the Magazine and the Transactions in numerous ways including reviewing, shaping content, driving strategic plans, budgets, and participating in all aspects of the publications. For the magazine, he led the effort to investigate and initiate advertising which was no small task. Peter is a strong and active leader, yet incredibly humble. I learned a great deal from him regarding publishing and IEEE policies but more than that, I learned about handling challenging situations with grace, humility, and humor. I think if you asked him, he would take no personal credit for any improvements associated with the magazine but rather offer all the credit to others. In fact, when I asked him what being VP of Publications (relative to the magazine) has meant to him personally, his first response was to say that “… it was fantastic to be a part of such a positive team.” He then went on to identify members of the Editorial Board, the IEEE AESS Board of Governors, and IEEE staff. The growth of the magazine is something he didn't want to say he was proud of because he didn't want to claim that credit for himself. Rather, he stated he was proud to be a part of the team that helped to grow and shape the magazine. I think his response sums up very clearly his character and represents “The Big Boss” that we've all come to know and love. I'm thrilled to say that Dr. Willett will not be leaving the publications team but will continue to work as an Associate Editor. I know I speak not only for myself but for the rest of AESS when I say “Thank you Peter, for all that you've done and all that you continue to do.”