Congratulations! That's a significant step forward for you. And what a nice ending to your year, to get this notice.

(Tangentially, when I took Business Communication, the phrase "I am pleased to inform you" was so thoroughly drilled out of me that I automatically flinch to see it. The rationale was, "the reader doesn't *care* what pleases me, s/he wants to know what's in it for him/her, so start with, 'Congratulations!' or something similar.")