2019/2020 ICPA Federal Council
2019/2020 ICPA Federal Council
Back Row: LtoR Nikki Macqueen - Publicity Officer, Federal Webmaster (Qld), Sally Sullivan - Vice President (NT), Di Skene - Retired, Briony Sinclair (Qld), Hamish Griffin - Retired
Middle Row: LtoR Kristen Coggan (Qld), Wendy Hick - Immediate Past President (Qld), Jane O’Brien - Membership Officer (NSW), Jane Morton - (Qld), Kate Thompson - Assistant Secretary (Tas), Christie Goddard - Retired, Jo Camilleri - WA
Front Row Lisa Slade - Treasurer (SA), Alana Moller - President (Qld), Suzanne Wilson - Secretary (NT)
PRESIDENT
Alana Moller
Branch: Clermont, Qld
Portfolios: Distance Education (Leader), Curriculum
Background: Alana is a member of the Clermont Branch in Central Queensland and has been the President and Correspondence Secretary of the Branch.
Alana, with her husband Scott, own and manage a cattle station 'Star of Hope' Station, west of Clermont in Central Queensland. They have three daughters - Mykenzie who is now at boarding school, and Zarah and Addison who are in primary school via distance education and she is home tutor for.
Alana has had a keen interest in rural education since her own school days, growing up on her family's cattle station outside of a small mining town. Once completing all of her schooling there, she completed a Bachelor of Education (Secondary English and Geography) with the intent to teach rural. Alana met her now husband in a roundabout way as a result of completing a prac-teaching placement in Clermont. After getting married, Alana continued contract and supply teaching in Clermont and Capella until 2010 when her eldest daughter started distance education and she became the home tutor - meaning that her teaching continued, she just stopped getting paid for it!
Alana has joined federal council knowing that ICPA and all it stands for precisely reflects her passion for rural education and the importance of pursuing equality and accessibility for isolated children.
FEDERAL VICE PRESIDENT
Sally Sullivan
Branch: Katherine, NT
Portfolios: Training (Leader), Early Childhood.
Background: Since 1998, Sally and husband Rohan have lived on Cave Creek Station, a stone’s throw from the famous Mataranka Thermal Pools.
Sally joined the Katherine Branch of ICPA that year when the oldest of her five children was doing Preschool through Katherine School of the Air. She has held Branch and then State Council ICPA executive positions ever since then, as well as being heavily involved in the Mataranka Primary School Council.
In 2017, Sally and Rohan have only one boy left at school (boarding at St Philip’s College in Alice Springs), an 18yo man at home on a gap year, and their three daughters are training to be a mustering helicopter pilot, in the first year of an Assoc Degree in Farm Management at Marcus Oldham College and completing Health Science at UQ with a view to studying medicine in 2018. Having experienced the emotional, educational and fiscal challenges of many facets of regional education (distance education, a small rural school, boarding, tertiary and VET systems), Sally is very appreciative of those who have come before her in ICPA.
In joining Federal Council of ICPA in 2016, she seeks to maintain the ‘fight’ to preserve and extend gains and ensure regional students are not forgotten by policy makers.
In her spare time??!! Sally likes to paddle in the river in her canoe (salvaged, repaired and gifted by her children) and wet a line. Needless to say, Sally’s family mostly eats beef.
FEDERAL SECRETARY
Suzanne Wilson
Branch: Lones Member, NT
Portfolio: Tertiary Education, Training
Background: Suzanne (Sue) and her husband Michael, live in Darwin’s CBD, NT. They have four adult children and 4 grandchildren.
Suzanne immigrated from England to Australia in 1983 and has lived in several states/territories both in cities and remote parts of Australia. She has been active in adult education both in the VET sector and at university level, having worked for a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) as a Course Co-ordinator and as a university lecturer at Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT.
She completed her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in 2004 and puts her skills learned into running the small company she owns with Michael, M & S Consultants Pty Ltd. Their company specialises in Distance Education software used for Interactive Distance Learning (IDL).
Suzanne has worked on various committees both as member and office bearer and has also been the Social Co-ordinator for her large apartment complex to bring neighbours together for some fun times.
Suzanne has been a strong supporter of ICPA for many years attending both state and federal conferences before joining the NT Lone Members Branch a few years ago. Keen to further the cause of parity in education for remote and rural students, she decided to further her support for ICPA by accepting the challenge of this position at the Alice Springs Federal Conference in 2017. In March, 2018, Suzanne also took on the role of NT Secretary at the NT State Conference.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, playing board games and trivia quizzes. She also enjoys the great outdoors through long drives across Australia, camping, sailing and fishing.
FEDERAL TREASURER
Lisa Slade
Branch: Flinders Ranges, SA
Portfolios: Rural Schools / School Travel, Boarding Schools
Background: Lisa began her association with ICPA in 2001 with a gift of branch membership from her mother in law (a gentle nudge)!
Lisa grew up in a small rural town in South Australia and later married her husband Keith and moved to their remote sheep station in the Northern Flinders Ranges. Their three children attended School of the Air, Port Augusta, for their primary schooling years. Lisa supervised all three children on and off through those years, intertwined with a Governess to ensure a level of sanity was restored at appropriate intervals. While the younger two children completed their upper primary years, Lisa completed a Bachelor of Commerce via distance education. Lisa’s eldest daughter has since finished university and works as a radiographer in Cairns for Queensland Health, and the youngest two are currently attending Boarding School in Adelaide.
Lisa has been involved with the South Australian State Council since 2013 and is currently serving in the capacity of Immediate Past President. Throughout her children’s education journey, Lisa has been an active member within Remote and Isolated Children’s Exercise (RICE), School of the Air, Orroroo Area School and other community organisations. Lisa joined Federal Council at the Alice Springs Federal Conference in 2017.
Ensuring equitable access to education for rural and remote children is one of Lisa’s passions.
FEDERAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Kate Thompson
Branch: Midlands, Tasmania
Portfolios: Tertiary Education (Leader), Training
Background: Kate lives north east of Oatlands in the Tasmanian midlands, with her husband David, on a mixed farm of merino sheep, fat lambs and Angus cattle. She works part-time as a community health nurse in their local area. Their two sons, were educated at the local rural school until grade 6 and then attended boarding school in Launceston until year 12. They both had gap years working on ski fields, vineyards and farms before heading to university. One has finished university and has returned to rural Tasmania to work.
In her spare time Kate enjoys her garden, reading and catching up with family and friends. Over the years she has been on various school and community committees including the local childcare centre and housing units for the aged, sporting, nursing, and the boarding school Country Parents and of course, ICPA since her boys were little.
Kate joined Federal Council at the Launceston Federal Conference (after convening it!) and has served in the role of Vice President.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Wendy Hick
Branch: Mount Isa Branch of the Air, Qld
Portfolio: Curriculum (Leader), Communications, Rural Schools/Travel
Background: Wendy and her husband Lloyd, live on their family owned and run cattle property “Thorntonia Station”, approximately 110 kms north-east of Camooweal near the Queensland/Northern Territory border.
Their two sons began their schooling with distance education through Mount Isa School of the Air with Wendy as their home tutor. The boys then went on to boarding school and are now studying at university.
While her children were learning via distance education, Wendy was involved in Schools of Distance Education Alliance (SODEA), The Materials Development Forum (MDF) and the Strategic Planning Team (SPT) in Qld.
Wendy has been involved with ICPA since her sons were a very young age and she looked forward to the day that her children would finally start formal schooling so that the family would receive a School of the Air radio, which enabled her to finally join in the Mount Isa Branch of the Air ICPA meetings. Wendy was the President and Secretary of the branch for several terms and was on the Sports for Bush Kids Committee, helping run the sports week for rural and remote students which the branch organizes each year.
Wendy became a Queensland State Councillor in 2010 and she held the position as one of the Qld State Council Vice Presidents for four years. Wendy joined Federal Council in 2015 and was elected as the Federal President at the 2015 Federal Conference in Brisbane.
FEDERAL MEMBERSHIP OFFICER
Jane O'Brien
Branch: Walgett, NSW - Life Member
Portfolio: Tertairy Education, Training
Background: Jane O’Brien’s association with ICPA began in 1986/7 when she joined the fledging Goodooga NSW Branch. She clearly remembers her first meeting in the back room of the Goodooga Pub, with talk revolving around forming an AIC motion to present at the upcoming Conference. Jane joined Federal Council in 2014 at the Launceston Federal Conference.
Members were concerned the rate wasn’t keeping up with the cost of boarding school fees! Some 28 years later ICPA and AIC along with LAFHA, YA and myriad other acronyms are now well and truly a part of Jane’s life. In 1990 Jane and husband Jim moved from Goodooga to Walgett and became members of the very active Walgett Branch where she is currently the Immediate Past President. In 2017 Jane was honoured with a Branch Life Membership.’
Jane grew up on a farm outside Warren in central west NSW, attended the local central school and continued to boarding school in Sydney. Their 3 children were educated at the local catholic school before attending a primary boarding school for year 6 then onto boarding school in Sydney until year 12.
Jane is an active community member and over the years has had roles in many community organisations as well as assisting at the primary and secondary schools her children attend.
PUBLICITY OFFICER
FEDERAL WEBMASTER
Nikki Macqueen
Branch: Kindon, Qld
Portfolios: Boarding Schools (Leader), Tertiary
Background: Nikki lives outside of Millmerran with husband Bill and their three children.
She joined Kindon ICPA Branch in 2011 and was elected to Federal Council at the Launceston Federal Conference in 2014. After attending one branch meeting she was so impressed by what this fabulous organisation was all about that she volunteered to attend Federal Conference in Darwin and even presented a motion!
Bill and Nikki breed cattle and grow crops on his family property and their children are now fourth generation. With her son left to finish school, her eldest daughter is currently into her second year of uni in Brisbane with the middle daughter on a gap year
In their spare time Nikki and her family enjoy water skiing and travelling.
FEDERAL COUNCILLOR
Kristen Coggan
Branch: Western Downs (Qld)
Portfolios: Communications (Leader), Boarding Schools / School Term Hostels
Background: Kristen Iives near Condamine in Queensland with her husband and two children at “Nangram”. Kristen’s daughter attends a local small school and her son goes to boarding school. They manage a cattle feedlot and backgrounding property for MDH Pty Ltd.
Kristen first became aware of ICPA while working as a governess in Western Queensland and the Northern Territory in the ‘90’s. This is where she came to understand and appreciate the importance of equitable education for bush kids. Her most challenging roles were working in a classroom with six students (all different age groups) and a stock camp classroom set up under a tarp in a paddock. At the time HF radios were in use and in both these locations, couldn’t be accessed.
Kristen became secretary of her local ICPA Western Downs Branch in 2009 and currently holds the position of branch president. Her branch members come from all sectors of rural education. From Kindy to tertiary, kids utilising distance ed to small schools, and of course boarding school.
In 2013, Kristen joined the “Better Internet for Rural,Regional and Remote”(BIRRR) Facebook page as an administrator. Understanding the unique needs of distance education and small school students to be able to digitally access lessons when they needed and have sufficient download capabilities to complete their educational requirements gave her insight when trying to help the members with communications issues.
Kristen hopes that the experience and knowledge she has gained from living and working in rural and remote areas of Australia will add strength to ICPA’s advocacy for all rural and remote students. She looks forward to representing our members.
FEDERAL COUNCILLOR
Jo Camilleri
Branch: Kimberley Air, WA
Portfolio: Rural Schools/Travel (Leader), Distance Education
Background: Having spent more than half of her life living in the Kimberley region and in that time educating her two children remotely at Udialla Springs and working in education and training, Jo is passionate about all things ICPA.
Jo has joined Federal Council in 2019 after eight years in executive roles with the Kimberley Air Branch from treasurer and secretary to immediate past President.
Jo is presently the Education Support Course Coordinator with the School of Education at the University of Notre Dame Broome Campus.
FEDERAL COUNCILLOR
Briony Sinclair
Branch: Western Downs, QLD
Portfolios: Specific Needs (Leader), Boarding Schools/School Term Hostels, Curriculum
Background: Briony and her husband are parents to 4 marvellous kids aged from 16 to 9 years. Schooling them as individuals with limited choices means they have chosen the best situation for each child and their family. This means a mixture of Vet learning accessed 2 hours drive away, Distance Education through Brisbane for secondary school, boarding school and the local small school.
Jason and Briony have both grown up in rural and remote areas with long associations with ICPA supporting them through their educations. They are committed to doing the same for their children and providing them with every opportunity available.
FEDERAL COUNCILLOR
Jane Morton
Branch: B/B/B (Boulia, Bedourie, Birdsville), QLD
Portfolios: Early Childhood (Leader), Distance Education, Communications
Background: Jane immigrated to Australia in 1977 after completing her nursing training in Birmingham, UK. Since then she has nursed in Birdsville, Marree and Oodnadatta, before marrying and helping to run the family cattle station Pandie Pandie Station, on the Birdsville Track.
She supervised her two children whilst they studied by distance education for their primary school years, after which they attended boarding school in Qld.
Jane has been involved with ICPA in executive positions at branch level, (initially inspired by the Qld State Conference in Birdsville in 1989), also the Birdsville Social and Racing Clubs. After Pandie Pandie was sold, she moved to the Darling Downs where ICPA once again became her focus, especially since she now has three grandchildren growing up on Pandie too. Jane joined Federal Council in 2012 and has held the position of Secretary and Assistant Secretary.