Item - 2024.XV2.1

The Nominating Panel – Toronto Local Appeal Body recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the follow candidates to the Toronto Local Appeal Body for a term of office ending February 9, 2028, and until successors are appointed:

Ana Bassios

Anthony Brown

Brian Gallaugher

Yeta Herscher

Bruce Mullock

John Tassiopoulos 

The Nominating Panel – Toronto Local Appeal Body:

1. Directed that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachments 1 to 4 to the report (January 15, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Local Appeal Body.

Candidates' biographies:

Ana Bassios

Ana Bassios is a City Planner with over thirty years of experience in the municipal sector. She is a former Commissioner of Planning in a Greater Toronto Area municipality with grassroots experience in community engagement. She is a long-time resident of Toronto and appreciates the uniqueness of each of the City's neighbourhoods.

Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown has practiced law in Ontario for many years, including appearing before administrative tribunals and arbitrators. He also has experience as an adjudicator and mediator, having served on the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Anthony and his family are long-term residents of Toronto.

Brian Gallaugher

Brian Gallaugher is a life-long resident of Toronto. He returned to school as a mature student to take a course in city planning. That led to a career in the City Planning Division that spanned 16 years and touched on all aspects of that Division's work. Now retired, he teaches planning at Seneca Polytechnic. A believer in Toronto, he continues to strive to bring fairness and equity to interactions between the City and its people. And to contribute to a beautiful, workable, enjoyable city.

Yeta Herscher

Yeta is a Toronto lawyer with an extensive background in planning and municipal law. She was employed for most of her career at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. She has appeared before the Ontario Municipal Board (now the Ontario Land Tribunal) and has wide-ranging experience in land use planning matters as well as in Indigenous and municipal law issues. She has been involved for many years with the Law Society of Ontario in the pedagogical and licencing components for new lawyers and paralegals.

Bruce Mullock

During 2015 to 2023, Bruce Mullock served two terms on the City of Toronto, Committee of Adjustment, in his second term as chairperson. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University. He advanced to vice-president through a full career in Toronto with Ian Martin Group, providing engineering staffing services to industry and government. Bruce brings critical thinking, sound judgement and quasi-judicial decision making skills, gained serving on the Committee of Adjustment and executive teams and boards.

John Tassiopoulos

John is a Practice Lead within WSP Canada's Urban and Community Planning. with over 23 years of experience. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto in Urban and Economic Geography. His extensive knowledge in urban planning, design and architecture informs and assists him in the deliberation of Toronto Local Appeal Body matters. He is also an instructor with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Syllabus program, a member of the Vaughan Design Review Panel and previously served on the Toronto East York Committee of Adjustment (2009-2015).

The Nominating Panel – Toronto Local Appeal Body will conduct interviews and recommend six candidates to City Council for appointment to the Toronto Local Appeal Body.