News
NZILA Honorary Fellow Vicki Clague
Posted 18 05 2023
in News
Outgoing NZILA Chief Operating Officer Vicki Clague has been made an Honorary Fellow of the Institute.
NZILA President Henry Crothers announced the honour at last night’s 2023 NZILA President’s Cocktail evening in Nelson.
Henry says Vicki has been instrumental in the Institute’s growth, has provided 12 years of good humour, enthusiasm and hard mahi managing to shift between the mundane and strategic with professionalism and grace.
“We all greatly appreciate her insights, guidance and commitment that has enabled both the Institute and profession to evolve and thrive.”
NZILA Vice-President and Treasurer Rebecca Ryder says Vicki, who has been with the Institute for 12 years brought passion and dedication to her role which has seen the Institute punch well above its weight.
“We hold our own and show leadership alongside other well established institutes. Vicki has been central to this leadership and has made significant achievements throughout her time with us. She has built enduring relationships with our members and created longstanding networks with sponsors, suppliers, members and peer institutes”
Former president, and one of the founding members of NZILA, Frank Boffa has also paid tribute to Vicki.
He says her huge contribution over the past 12 years has seen the Institute consolidate, grow, prosper and mature as a professional organisation.
He says Vicki’s “guidance and leadership has been outstanding and has helped us, as a relatively young profession, gain confidence and secure our position at the top table when it comes to landscape advocacy, landscape policy and landscape process.”
Frank believes one of her most notable achievements was to organise and deliver the hugely successful and memorable 50th anniversary conference in Auckland last year.
In 2021 when she had been with NZILA for ten years Henry said the executive committee (past and present) “all greatly appreciate her insights, guidance and commitment that has enabled both the Institute and profession to evolve and thrive.
“Vicki has helped transform the Institute into a thriving and respected organisation through her guidance, acumen and professionalism. We are in a much better place.”
Vicki began with NZILA in October 2011 for 20 hours a week but her role, influence and achievements quickly grew.
Membership of the Institute has tripled during Vicki’s tenure, she has developed three websites (two for NZILA as well as LAA) and has overseen a strong push to have the profession and institute profiled in mainstream and niche media.
Landscape Architecture Aotearoa was Vicki’s brainchild and has proven to be a valuable “front window” for the Institute and wider profession.
With Vicki at the helm the NZILA conferences and awards programme have risen to new, professional heights forged important relationships with suppliers and sponsors along with members of the Institute. Institute processes have also been streamlined resulting in much greater efficiency of NZILA as a whole.
Vicki has now worked with five different NZILA presidents, 34 Executive Committee members and many more Institute volunteers across branches, working groups and panels.
Stephen Brown was president when Vicki was employed.
“Vicki stood head and shoulders above her fellow applicants, to the point where a huge sigh of relief was shared by those who had met Vicki when she finally accepted the position.”
Under Vicki’s guidance NZILA’s relationship with both IFLA and AILA has strengthened greatly.
Vicki also spearheaded the extensive commemorations for NZILA's 50th anniversary. Last year’s NZILA Firth Conference and Resene New Zealand Landscape Architecture Awards events were the biggest events in the Institute’s history and included the publication of Tuia Pito Ora - He Whakaahua - the book celebrating the profession and Institute’s first 50 years.
Vicki finishes up on June 30.