NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT Bradley Sutherland appointed by Premier Ford

Niagara Falls Bridge Commission Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2026

For further information contact: 
Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
905-354-5641 or 716-285-6322

NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT

Bradley Sutherland appointed by Premier Ford

LEWISTON, NEW YORK – The Commissioners of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) are pleased to announce the appointment of Brad Sutherland to the Board of Commissioners. He was appointed to the Commission by the Premier of the Province of Ontario, Doug Ford. 

Commissioner Sutherland is a long‑time Toronto resident and an active contributor to Canada’s business and events community. As Director of Business Development at Air Canada, he leads the airline’s new corporate sales team and oversees its national Meetings and Events program, working closely with partners to strengthen Canada’s position as a premier destination for business travel.

Brad also serves as Vice Chair of Meetings Mean Business Canada, an industry coalition dedicated to advancing the economic and social value of business events across the country. His commitment to international collaboration extends to his role on the Board of the Canada‑India Business Council, where he supports efforts to deepen commercial ties between the two nations.  He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in North American Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.

The present Board of Commissioners includes Chairperson Lindsay DiCosimo Meriani (ON), Vice Chairperson Frank Soda (NY), Secretary April Jeffs (ON), Treasurer Kathleen Neville (NY), Ziad Hajifazul (ON), and Dick Palladino (NY).

About the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission:

The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is a unique, bi-national body. Canada and the U.S. are equally represented on the NFBC through the bi-national appointment of an eight-member Board of Commissioners. A Joint Resolution of the 1938 U.S. Congressional Third Session created the framework for the NFBC. In 1939, the Province of Ontario, Canada licensed the NFBC under The Extra Provincial Corporations Act and amended the Highway Improvement Act to authorize the appropriation of land in Ontario for transfer to the NFBC. Initially established to finance, construct and operate the Rainbow Bridge, the Commission proved efficient and effective at its mission. The NFBC’s powers and authority were thereafter expanded through amendments to the Joint Resolution in the U.S., and by the Rainbow Bridge Amendment Act of 1959 and the Queenston Bridge Act of 1959 in Canada. Together, these enactments empowered the NFBC to assume responsibilities for the Whirlpool Rapids (Lower) and Lewiston-Queenston Bridges. Today, in addition to owning and operating three international bridges, the NFBC builds and maintains facilities for Customs and Immigration functions on both sides of the international border. The NFBC is self-supportive, largely through user fees (tolls) and private-sector tenant leases. NFBC is authorized to conduct international commercial financial transactions and empowered to issue tax-exempt bonds in the United States.

NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ELECTS 2026 OFFICERS

Niagara Falls Bridge Commission Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 12, 2026

For further information contact: 
Matt Davison
716.604.7772
mdavison@martingroupmarketing.com

NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ELECTS 2026 OFFICERS

LEWISTON, NEW YORK – The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC), the bi-national entity that owns and operates the Rainbow, Whirlpool Rapids and Lewiston-Queenston Bridges between Canada and the United States, is pleased to announce the election of its officers for the 2026 term. Lindsay DiCosimo Merani of the Province of Ontario was elected Chairperson, and Frank Soda of the State of New York was elected Vice-Chairperson. In addition, April Jeffs of the Province of Ontario was elected Secretary, and Kathleen L. Neville of the State of New York was elected Treasurer. Harry R. Palladino, of the State of New York and Ziad Hajifazul of the Province of Ontario comprise the other members of the NFBC Board.

U.S. Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the Governor of the State of New York, and Canadian Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the Premier of the Province of Ontario. All officers hold their respective position for one-year until the next Annual Meeting, unless the Commission deems a change is necessary. The annual rotation ensures that leadership responsibilities reflect the binational spirit of the NFBC.

A resident of Queenston, ON, Lindsay DiCosimo Merani was appointed to the Commission in February 2024. With extensive experience in the travel and tourism industry, she is the Director of Marketing at Hospitality Resorts Inc. Commissioner DiCosimo Merani holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the State University of New York, University of Buffalo. 

Appointed to the Commission in March 2012, Frank Soda retired in 2010 after a 41-year teaching career. He resides in Niagara Falls, NY, and holds a BA and MA from Niagara University and an MS from Buffalo State College. He taught at Niagara Falls High School for 23 years and is a former adjunct at Erie Community College and Niagara University. A past three-term member of the Niagara Falls City Council, he also served on the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency.

A resident of Welland, ON, Commissioner April Jeffs was appointed to the NFBC in April 2024. She is a Senior Government Relations Advisor at Brock University, and currently serves on the board of directors for the South Niagara Chambers of Commerce, RCNA Niagara, Arid Recovery Homes, and Niagara Source Water Protection Committee. During her tenure with the Niagara Parks Commission from January 2019 to April 2024, Ms. Jeffs held the offices of Vice Chair and Chair. From 2010 to 2018, she served as Mayor of the Township of Wainfleet and a Niagara Regional Councillor.

Appointed to the Commission in March 2012, Wilson, NY resident Kathleen Neville has served as NFBC Chairperson on three separate occasions:  2015, 2021, and 2024-25. She is a public relations and brand management professional who serves as a senior communications advisor to the head of NFL Football Operations. Commissioner Neville previously served as senior vice president at Hill and Knowlton Public Relations International in New York City and as a senior consultant at Ketchum Public Relations in Washington, D.C. She is the author of non-fiction books on reputation and conduct issues in today’s workplaces, schools and sports. She is a current board member of YWCA Niagara Frontier and recently served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Miss America Organization, and the Board of Selectors for the National Jefferson Awards Foundation. Formerly serving as Vice Chair of Humanities New York, she is also a past Commissioner of the New York State Women’s Suffrage Commission and a past member of Niagara University’s Board of Trustees. A former television and radio broadcaster, Commissioner Neville obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Niagara University.

Harry R. Palladino of Gasport, NY, was appointed to the Commission in March 2014, and served as Chairperson in 2019 and 2023. He is the Business Manager of Laborers’ Local 91, and has worked in various positions throughout his extensive career with the organization. He is also the owner/operator of Palladino Paving and Construction.

Commissioner Hajifazul has been a resident of Niagara Falls, ON for over two decades and is deeply committed to giving back to his community. He currently serves as Vice President on the Board of Crime Stoppers of Niagara and is a provincial appointee to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Grant Review Team for the Niagara area. Commissioner Hajifazul has also contributed to the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara through his work with their foundation and fund development initiatives. An active volunteer, he has dedicated time as a youth soccer coach and is fluent in Arabic, Hindi, Pashto, and Urdu.

About the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission:

The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is a unique, bi-national body.  Canada and the U.S. are equally represented on the NFBC through the bi-national appointment of an eight-member Board of Commissioners.  A Joint Resolution of the 1938 U.S. Congressional Third Session created the framework for the NFBC.  In 1939, the Province of Ontario, Canada licensed the NFBC under The Extra Provincial Corporations Act and amended the Highway Improvement Act to authorize the appropriation of land in Ontario for transfer to the NFBC.  Initially established to finance, construct and operate the Rainbow Bridge, the Commission proved efficient and effective at its mission.  The NFBC’s powers and authority were thereafter expanded through amendments to the Joint Resolution in the U.S., and by the Rainbow Bridge Amendment Act of 1959 and the Queenston Bridge Act of 1959 in Canada.  Together, these enactments empowered the NFBC to assume responsibilities for the Whirlpool Rapids (Lower) and Lewiston-Queenston Bridges.  Today, in addition to owning and operating three international bridges, the NFBC builds and maintains facilities for Customs and Immigration functions on both sides of the international border. The NFBC is self-supportive, largely through user fees (tolls) and private-sector tenant leases. NFBC is authorized to conduct international commercial financial transactions and empowered to issue tax-exempt bonds in the United States.