i cant say this was much of a surprise, considering how badly he botched the development and construction of the pirquitas mine:

Silver Standard Resources Inc. (TSX: SSO)(NASDAQ: SSRI) today announced that George Paspalas has resigned as Chief Operating Officer of the Company effective January 7, 2011.

Mr. Joe Philips will assume responsibility for operations and development activities on an interim basis while the Company completes a comprehensive search for Mr. Paspalas' successor.

Mr. Philips holds a B.Sc. in Geological Engineering and served most recently as Senior Vice-President of Project Development for Pan American Silver Corp. He brings strong operational experience from roles held in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela.

Mr. Smith stated, "We would like to thank George for his service to Silver Standard including the construction and start up of the Pirquitas Mine. In the interim, we are fortunate to have an executive with Joe's experience, knowledge and expertise to assist the Company during this period."

http://ir.silverstandard.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=536234