Manager of the Local Government Centre within the Institute of Public Policy.  Nic has a varied professional background that she brings to research and academia, including work in central and local government, with non-government organisations, and as a consultant. Broadly, this work has had a social development focus and has included youth, health, mental health, suicide prevention, sustainability and wellbeing issues. Primarily, Nic has utilised advocacy, communication, training and policy development instruments to achieve favourable outcomes in local, regional and national contexts. She has two pre-school rascals, a Masters thesis pending completion, a huntaway hound, too many books and heaps of CDs to keep her busy.