Nikki Macdonald, PhD.
BCAIU President
Nikki Macdonald, Ph.D., was appointed President of the BC Association of Institutes + Universities in December 2022. This Association represents a group of public post-secondary institutions that offer a range of post-secondary education, ranging from trades and technical training to master’s degrees in specialty areas. The role of the President is to provide counsel to members on strategies and approaches to government to represent members’ points of view on policy, legislation, or other actions; coordinate research and develop information material to support members’ views or as a response to government requests; forecast and evaluate the effects of public policy on members and keep them informed of developments.
Dr. Macdonald has extensive experience as a senior leader in the industry, government, and the post-secondary sector. She served as a senior advisor to the Rt. Honourable Jean Chrétien as the Director of the Appointments Secretariat. She was the Federal Director for the international company Schering-Plough. In that capacity, she was the sector lead for policy development related to the Patented Medicines Price Review Board and sat on several Canada/US industry committees. More recently, she held several Executive Director roles at the University of Victoria, including Government Relations, Strategic Research Initiatives and Corporate Operations for Ocean Networks Canada. Since 2018 Nikki has managed a successful consulting practice focused on environmental and ocean policy, strategic planning and engagement, governance, and organizational change.
Nikki is a committed community leader and serves on several boards, including the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, where she also chairs the Constitution and Policy Committee. She was appointed Board Secretary of the Institute for Public Administration, Victoria Chapter, in the Fall of 2022. She is a CRD Solid Waste Advisory Committee member and sits on the Willis Point Community Association Executive.
Nikki has a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Victoria and lives in Victoria with her husband, Ned. She is a proud Mum of two incredible women