Chiocchio elected Niagara Police Service Board chair

NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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Regional Councillor Pat Chiocchio was elected to serve as Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara Police Service Board by the members of the Board at their first meeting held on January 9, 2025.  Nyarayi Kapisavanhu was re-elected to serve her second term as Vice-Chair. 

"I want to thank the members of the Board for their support.  It is truly an honour and privilege to be elected as Chair of the Police Service Board,” says Chair Chiocchio.  “We have a very dedicated group, intent on working with our Chief, Bill Fordy, and all the women and men of the Niagara Regional Police Service to strengthen our police service to ensure public safety for the citizens of Niagara.” 

Chair Pat Chiocchio was appointed by Niagara Regional Council to serve as a representative on the Regional Municipality of Niagara Police Service Board on December 1, 2022, for a four-year term (2022-2026).  Chair Chiocchio spent his working career in the public sector with Niagara Region Community Services Department serving as an Adult Day Service Coordinator with the Seniors Community Program and retiring in 2018 after 35 years of dedicated service. 

Chair Chiocchio was first elected as a Councillor with the City of Welland in 2003 and was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014. As a Welland City Councillor, he served on several Committees and Boards including Chair of the Integrated Services Committee, Chair of the Transit Advisory Committee, Chair of the Welland Safe Community Partnership, and Chair of the Health Care Committee.  He also served as a member of the Economic Development Committee, Budget Review Committee, and Welland Hydro Board.  He held the position of City Councillor until he was elected to Regional Council in 2018. 

As a Regional Councillor, Pat Chiocchio has served as Co-Chair of the Regional Public Health and Social Services Committee, and serves on the Budget Review Committee, Public Works Committee, Regional Development Charge Policy Task Force and Transportation Steering Committee.  He is an active member of the community having participated and served with several groups and organizations such as coaching and volunteering with the Welland Minor Hockey Association, Welland Minor Soccer Club, Welland Minor Basketball Association and the MS Society of Canada, Niagara Peninsula Chapter of Hope. 

A life-long resident of Niagara Region, Chair Chiocchio was born and raised in Welland and studied at Eastdale Secondary School and Niagara College.  He and his wife Lorraine have a daughter named Kelsy and two grandchildren, Luca and Dario.  His hobbies include physical fitness, golfing, travelling, and enjoying time spent with his family.

Vice Chair Nyarayi Kapisavanhu was appointed by Niagara Regional Council as its community representative to serve on the Regional Municipality of Niagara Police Service Board on February 23, 2023.  She is a dedicated community leader and advocate with a proven track record of service and impact in the Niagara Region. In addition to her leadership role, Nyarayi holds the ICD.D designation from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management Directors Education Program, underscoring her commitment to excellence in governance and strategic decision-making. This achievement reflects her deep understanding of organizational leadership, accountability, and effective board management, which she brings to her public service and community advocacy. 

Nyarayi's leadership is informed by her extensive experience with not-for-profit organizations, including her work with TOES Niagara where she has focused on moving individuals from the margins to the mainstream by creating pathways to economic, educational and social empowerment and she has worked to have some of their research projects published. 

Known for her collaborative and visionary approach, Nyarayi remains deeply committed to making Niagara a thriving, inclusive Region for all its residents. She looks forward to continuing this important work in her re-election as Vice Chair. 

“I am honoured to have been re-elected as Vice Chair by the Members of the Police Service Board and will continue to use my skills and experience working with and in various sectors and communities, to meaningfully engage in Niagara’s growing and diverse community needs and best interests regarding policing in the Region,” says Vice Chair Kapisavanhu. 

The election of the Chair and Vice Chair for the Police Service Board is consistent with the provisions of Section 36 of the Community Safety and Policing Act, and the Board’s Procedural By-law, which requires the Board to select its executive officers at the first meeting of the calendar year. 

Other members of the Police Service Board are: Regional Councillor Laura Ip (St. Catharines); Regional Councillor Bill Steele (Mayor of Port Colborne); plus provincially appointed representatives Kevin Gibson (Wainfleet), Jen Lawson (Fonthill), and Tara McKendrick (Welland). 

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