Ward Three Councillors
Councillor John Chiocchio
- 905-736-0240
- john.chiocchio@welland.ca
Information coming soon.
Committees and Boards
Councillor Sharmila Setaram
- 905-414-2539
- sharmila.setaram@welland.ca
Sharmila was elected in 2022 to represent the people of Ward 3 as one of its two city councillors. Sharmila is the first person of colour to be elected to Welland City Council and is the first woman in more than 20 years to represent Ward 3 residents. She decided to run for city council to bring a people-first approach to city decision-making. Too many of our neighbours are being left behind, are underserved or are struggling to access the services their families rely on. She has demonstrated this people-first commitment by championing efforts to enable people in our community to live with dignity, through initiatives such as the emergency shelter pilot at the Tennis Club and a pilot to provide access to free menstrual products at select city-operated facility washrooms.
Sharmila has extensive experience in government administration and is employed as a senior executive recruitment consultant in the Ontario Public Service (OPS). She works with top OPS executives to find the best leaders across the country to fill high level vacancies in their organizations. Prior to this role, she worked with the Ontario Clean Water Agency, a Crown Agency of the Province of Ontario committed to partnering with communities to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective clean water services.
She is a graduate of Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo, and holds a professional human resources designation. She has chaired several non-profit boards of directors, notably human rights campaigner Amnesty International Canada and Equal Voice who advocates for the equal representation of women in government. Sharmila has been honoured to receive awards for her community involvement, including the Governor General of Canada, Sovereign Medal for Volunteers in 2023, which was presented by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Friendly neighbours and being surrounded by nature are a few of the reasons that Sharmila is proud to call Welland home. When family and friends are looking to make new memories, she encourages them to enjoy the canal with a swim or a canoe, kayak or paddle board rental downtown, followed by a short walk to a nearby restaurant. If you ask her about Welland’s hidden gems, the salt cave on Niagara St will be high on her list for a unique and relaxing experience, as will grabbing a slice of cheesecake on West Main Street and eating it on the Canal Terrace, a free public outdoor space. As for a favourite event – there are too many to choose from, but she says you can’t go wrong with Concerts on the Canal, a great way to unwind on Friday nights in the summer.
Committees and Boards
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