Nikki Macqueen and her husband Bill live outside Millmerran (in Qld), breeding cattle and growing crops, with a son and two daughters now fully launched into adulthood. She joined Kindon ICPA Branch in 2011 and jumped feet first into educational advocacy!
Nikki was so excited about joining Federal Council at the 2014 Tasmania conference and with her winning smile and effervescence, she went onto be the main ICPA recruiter for years.
Legend has it that Nikki stepped into the publicity officer role in 2015 and lit a fire under ICPA. She made an enormous amount of media contacts and kept council on their toes with interviews and opportunities.
- She got us a TV gig for the Canberra Conference, and desperately tried to get us on Q & A numerous times
- She marched us into the Media level of Parliament House several times and managed to coordinate some very timely interviews just as good news broke for our ICPA families.
- she was in her element talking to Journos and never wasted an opportunity, constantly asking them for advice, different ways to go about things and how ICPA could get our message out there better. (Doing the same with Politicians and their advisers as well).
- She took ICPA Australia’s social media pages from fledgling to soaring and has done it all with a smile and a few laughs, even if it was the second, third or fourth take.
Her enthusiasm to help people is unsurmountable. She embraces everything as an adventure and everyone as a friend. She CANNOT believe that anyone WOULDN’T want to be a part of this AMAZING organisation. She is bold and brave and if it’s for ICPA, she will swallow her fears, march across the room, introduce herself and see where the conversation takes her.
In her time on ICPA Federal Council, Nikki led the Boarding portfolio, did two stints as Publicity Officer and put her hand up to co-develop and manage the changeover to the new website. In the unexpected switch to a fully online Federal Conference in 2020, Nikki tackled the steep and rapid learning curve to manage all the tech and voting on the fly.
Upon stepping down from ICPA Federal Council duties in 2021, Nikki put her hand up to continue managing the website and assist with the member database, through off-council volunteer roles. She stepped in to help with AV at the 2022 Conference and since then has well and truly mastered it – taking it on solo in 2024 & 2025. Each of these roles is individually big responsibilities and not without their challenges!
Nikki has been a key touchstone for many, helping train State and Federal webmasters and regularly being available on the end of a phone and email for tricky website issues. Nikki was also a key player in the formation of a dedicated team tasked with overseeing the operation and continuous development of the ICPA website. The ICPA Tech Team established in 2024 comprises individuals with diverse expertise and a shared commitment to enhancing the digital presence of the organisation and is better able to service all cohorts within ICPA. Thanks in part to Nikki’s efforts and enthusiasm ICPA is progressing a more sustainable and practical model for all volunteers, members and associates.
Read by Nikki Mahony
Federal Conference in at Eos Skycity, Adelaide
30/07/2025
