NIAGARA FALLS BRIDGE COMMISSION ELECTS 2025 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, recently elected its 2025 slate of officers. Kathleen L. Neville of the State of New York was elected Chairperson, and Lindsay DiCosimo Merani of the Province of Ontario was elected Vice-Chairperson. In addition, Francis A. Soda of the State of New York was elected Secretary, and April Jeffs of the Province of Ontario was elected Treasurer. Harry R. Palladino, of the State of New York and Laryssa Waler Hetmanczuk 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.

Appointed to the Commission in March 2012, Kathleen Neville, a resident of Wilson, New York, 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.

A resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 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 Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel & Suites.  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, New York, 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 Niagara Falls City Council member, three times, he also served on the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency.

A resident of Welland, Ontario, Commissioner 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 Port Colborne/Wainfleet Chamber of Commerce, Valued Health Connections and Arid Recovery Homes. 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.

Harry R. Palladino, a resident of Gasport, New York, 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.

Appointed to the Commission in June 2024, Laryssa Waler Hetmanczuk has worked in the strategic communications, public affairs and media relations industry for almost 20 years, and is the founder of Henley Strategy. Commissioner Waler Hetmanczuk previously served in a leadership communications role for the Government of Ontario. She started her career in Ottawa, working at Health Canada and Industry Canada in communications. In addition to her experience in government, Ms. Waler Hetmanczuk spent several years at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation as a policy advisor. In 2022, she led the Canadian, Indigenous and international media for the 2022 Papal visit to Canada, that was focused on Indigenous reconciliation. A native of Niagara, she holds a degree from the University of Toronto, and a graduate certificate in Public Relations from Humber College.