National Fellows

The IPAA National body awards National Fellowships to members who have made an outstanding contribution to the study and /or practice of public administration. They also actively participate in the activities of the Institute and strongly support its mission.

In 2008, IPAA Queensland formally recognised two of our outstanding members, Margaret Allison and Peter Henneken, who were awarded National Fellowships.

Below is a snapshot of their achievements both professionally and personally. Their commitment and dedication to the public service is evident and we wish them further success and recognition in years to come.

Margaret Allison
Commission Chief Executive
Public Service Commission
Margaret Allison has more than 30 years’ experience in State and local government, in Queensland and New South Wales. With a professional background in social work, she has led policy and operations in many human services fields including juvenile justice, child protection, disability, ageing, legal aid and community infrastructure development. She also holds post-graduate qualifications in public administration.

Her previous role is with Brisbane City Council (BCC), where she was the Divisional Manager, Families and Community Services; the largest division of Council with approximately 2,000 staff. Families and Community Services is responsible for providing a diverse range of services aligned with Council’s strategic policies and strategies including regulation and compliance, road and park maintenance, disaster management, libraries, community development, arts and culture, sport and recreation and customer services. Other positions, held in New South Wales, include Director-General, Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and Chief Executive Officer Legal Aid Commission.

Margaret’s interests include reading, films, gym, eating out and travel. In the past few years, she has supported a small NGO in Cambodia. As IPAA Queensland President, Margaret is a strong advocate and dedicated member of the Institute.

Peter Henneken
Director-General of the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations
Peter Henneken is the Director-General (CEO) of the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations, established in 2001 to focus on industrial relations, both public and private, and electrical and workplace health and safety.

Peter has previously served as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations, which introduced a number of major job and training reforms for unemployed and young Queenslanders. The Department also developed new Industrial Relations laws for Queensland. Peter has a long interest in the labour market and has worked in all areas of labour market policy and regulation.

The Department of Employment and Industrial Relations is responsible for ensuring that Queensland workplaces are safe and fair for both employee and employer; employment and Indigenous initiatives; Workplace Health and Safety – including Electrical Safety and Workers’ Compensation Policy; and Industrial Relations across the public and private sectors.

Peter is Chair of the Building and Construction Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Board [QLeave], Deputy Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Regulatory Authority (QComp) and is a member of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council and the Electrical Safety Board. Peter has been a member of the Institute for more than ten years and remains an active member in its activities and programs.

Click here to view all National Fellows.