Nicky Sloan

Citation delivered by Doctor David Williams AM, Chair of the Honorary Alumni Chapter at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Nicky Louise Sloan as a Fellow of the University on 7 October 2021.

Chancellor, I present to you Nicola Louise Sloan.

Nicky Sloan is an exceptional community leader and a passionate driver of social justice in regional development who, through her influential leadership and advocacy for community service organisations, strives to improve the lives of current and future generations.

As Chief Executive Officer of the Community Industry Group Nicky holds a critically influential role guiding the peak body to support and advocate for not-for-profit community service organisations across NSW. Since 2011, she has worked tirelessly to promote social justice, reduce disadvantage, and ensure that economic development initiatives support inclusion and positive social and community development.

Her innovative approach to supporting excellence in community organisations and building their capacity for impact sets Nicky apart. She builds, supports and facilitates excellence and innovation in community services, empowering more effective approaches and initiatives to sustain community resilience, health and wellbeing. Her efforts have also helped build recognition for the work and value of the social services sector.

Nicky is a powerful voice for the vulnerable and disadvantaged. She advocates widely for services to address domestic violence and support women, children, people with disability and those in aged care. She has long lobbied for affordable housing and tackling homelessness, more recently through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also argued for fairer social worker remuneration, developed a culturally safe workplaces toolkit and championed the work of the Illawarra Disability Alliance.

Nicky is a well-respected leader, sought-after expert speaker and generous mentor. She shares freely of the wealth of experience amassed throughout her diverse career, spanning governance and strategy, research and policy development, partnerships, advocacy and collaboration. She has contributed through numerous advisory panels, reference groups and consultative bodies, and currently sits on the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Branch Board, TAFE NSW Advisory Council, BlueScope Community Consultative Committee, Sydney Water Customer Council and the Board of the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music. She was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Uniting Care Ageing (South East Region) and a member of the Community Advisory Panel for the NSW Minister for the Illawarra.

A graduate of UOW, Nicky completed a Bachelor of Arts (with Distinction) Double Major in Community and Environment, and Marketing. Nicky was awarded places on the Dean’s Merit Lists, won the Services Marketing Undergraduate Prize and was also awarded the Norm Rankin Memorial Award. She maintains a deep connection with UOW, both professionally and personally, and actively works to strengthen the University’s reputation and impact. Since 2012, Nicky has been an active member of the UOW Reference Group linking the University with its community and facilitating broader discussion of strategic issues. Here, she has provided valuable advice to the Senior Executive team and contributed to the development and implementation of UOW’s Strategic Plan. She has also inspired and educated the next generation of professionals as a casual academic lecturer and tutor.

Nicky’s personal mission statement is ”to create a better life and opportunities for people who live with vulnerability or disadvantage by improving the viability and sustainability of the not-for-profit sector” and her life goal is “to work to fulfil this mission”.

Chancellor, Nicky Sloan embodies UOW’s spirit in her determined pursuit of social justice in regional development and commitment to building a fair and inclusive community in which everyone can thrive.

It is a privilege to present Nicola Louise Sloan to be admitted as a Fellow of the University of Wollongong.