The Queensland recipient of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) 2021 National Fellow Award is the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Neil Scales.
Mr Scales (pictured) is also the Treasurer of IPAA Queensland.
The longest-serving Director-General in the current Queensland Government, Mr Scales was honoured for his significant contributions to the State’s public administration and public policy.
In a statement, IPAA said Mr Scales had positioned transport as a key enabler of a strong and resilient Queensland economy, supporting multiple industries and the community’s access to education, employment and health services.
“Neil’s vision of a single, integrated transport network in Queensland that is accessible to all is being realised,” IPAA said.
“Transport and Main Roads has been transformed into a customer-centred business responsive to customer expectations and a lifelong learning organisation that supports ongoing capability development and employee engagement,” it said.
It said Mr Scales had been a long-time supporter of IPAA and its mission to advance the profession of public administration.
“He is an inaugural member of the IPAA Queensland Council since its inception in 2016 to oversee the re-establishment of the IPAA in Queensland,” it said.
“On the IPAA’s incorporation in late 2018, he assumed the role of treasurer and has twice been elected to this role.”
The 2021 IPAA National Conference was hosted by IPAA Queensland and attended by more than 500 delegates, both in-person and virtual.
The theme for speakers was ‘the transformation of service in the digital age’.
