At their meeting of January 22, 2025, the Greater Sudbury Police Service Board elected Gerry Lougheed, Jr., as Chair and Shawn Poland as Vice Chair.
Chair Lougheed was nominated by Member Krista Fortier. He thanked the Board for their support in nominating him and assuming the role.
“I look forward to working with my Board colleagues to continue ensuring that Greater Sudbury is provided with adequate and effective policing services under the Community Safety and Policing Act. I am extremely proud of the work of the Board and Service since being appointed. I know with Chief Cunningham leading the charge, we will continue to achieve great things moving forward. We are blessed with some of the best Service members in the country,” said Lougheed.
Chair Lougheed first served on the Board from 2011-2015 as a provincial appointee and returned in January 2023 as the City of Greater Sudbury municipal appointee. Chair Lougheed also serves as a Big 12 Director with the Ontario Association of Police Service Boards and is the longstanding president and managing director of Lougheed Funeral Homes.
Member Poland was nominated as Vice Chair by Chair Lougheed and received unanimous support from the Board to be elected to the role.
“It gives me great pleasure to serve as Vice Chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Service Board for 2025. Along with Chair Lougheed, I am very grateful for the Board’s trust and support in helping to lead the Board. The Service continues to do incredible work with community partners, and I know the rest of the Board joins me in recognizing the hard work of all Service members,” said Poland.
Vice Chair Poland was appointed on May 25, 2023, by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario for a three-year term. Shawn is currently Vice President External Partnerships and Strategic Enrolment at Cambrian College where he oversees recruitment, marketing, communications, career services, alumni, development, and government relations activities. Shawn has worked in marketing, communications, and economic development. He has been a competitive coach and volunteer in the community for over 20 years, supporting many organizations including Laurentian University, the Greater Sudbury Soccer Club, and Kivi Park. Along with his position on the Police Service Board, he is the 2nd Vice Chair of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC) and has served on the board for many other organizations in Greater Sudbury.
The Police Service expressed warm congratulations to Chair Lougheed and Vice Chair Poland. “I am very pleased to see Chair Lougheed and Vice Chair Poland elected to their respective positions,” said Chief Cunningham. “Both have been fierce advocates for the Service, ensuring we are providing adequate and effective policing and I know will continue to support the GSPS towards its vision of ensuring the safety and well-being of Greater Sudbury.”
The Police Service Board is rounded out by Ward 8 Councillor Al Sizer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre, and provincial appointee Kirsta Fortier, partner at Fortier Law Firm. As civilian community members who represent the public’s interests, the Police Service Board is committed to a high quality of community-based policing and excellence in police governance. The Board recognizes the challenges to law enforcement created by a changing environment, demographic shifts, emerging technologies, and evolving crime trends and patterns.
About: The Greater Sudbury Police Service Board is a five-member civilian Board that governs the Greater Sudbury Police Service. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act, the Board is responsible for providing adequate and effective police services to over 179,000 Greater Sudbury residents.
Chair Gerry Lougheed, Jr. (Municipal Appointee)
Vice Chair Shawn Poland (Provincial Appointee)
Member Al Sizer (Councillor, Ward 8)
Member Paul Lefebvre (Mayor)
Member Krista Fortier (Provincial Appointee)
Contact:
Matthew Gatien
Board Administrator
705-675-9171 x 5750
705-665-4616
matthew.gatien@gsps.ca