Meet the Board and Staff
London Police Service Board (the Board) members bring diverse expertise and leadership to ensure effective governance and accountability, while our Board office staff provide essential support to the Board to ensure that it operates efficiently, complies with legislative requirements, and fulfills its governance responsibilities.
RYAN GAUSS, CHAIR
Ryan Gauss is a lifelong Londoner with extensive experience in public service, governance, and community leadership. He is currently the Director of Stakeholder Relations in the Office of the CEO at London Hydro.
Prior to this role, Ryan served for nearly a decade as Chief of Staff to Member of Parliament Peter Fragiskatos, leading strategic communications and stakeholder engagement for London’s longest-serving active MP. He also spent approximately 12 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), serving in various administrative roles including as a Human Resources Advisor, and was Chief Executive Officer of the London City Professional Soccer Club before his family sold the team in 2011.
Ryan currently serves as Chair of the London Police Service Board and has long been Chair of the Board of Directors for the Bethanys Hope Foundation, reflecting his deep commitment to public service and community advancement.
In recognition for his professional contributions and community service, Ryan received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in June 2025, the Young Alumni Award from King’s University College in 2015, and has been named multiple times to The Hill Times Top 25 Terrific Staffers List, which highlights the work of political staff both in constituencies and on Parliament Hill.
Ryan holds an Honours Specialization in History and Major in Political Science from King’s University College at Western University. He lives in London with his wife, Haley, a Registered Nurse, and their two sons.
NANCY BRANSCOMBE, VICE-CHAIR
In 2006, Nancy Branscombe was elected to London City Council in Ward 6 and re-elected for a second term, until 2014. She served at various times as Chair of Planning, Chair of the Dearness Home Committee of Management, Corporate Services, Town and Gown Committee, London Public Library Board, London Chamber of Commerce, and the Transportation Review Committee. Ms. Branscombe was also Chair of the Service Review Committee which reviewed all of the City department budgets and revamped the budgeting process for the City, moving toward a zero-based, multi-year budget.
Starting with a ride-along one weekend during Ms. Branscombe’s Council term, she gained significant appreciation for the issues and challenges facing the London Police Service.
Currently, Ms. Branscombe is the Board Chair for the Forest City Film Festival and the Forest City Youth Film Festival. These festivals celebrate the art of cinema through a regional lens, with a focus on national and global films and filmmakers connected to London and Southwestern Ontario.
Members
COUNCILLOR STEVE LEHMAN, COUNCILLOR
Mr. Lehman was elected to London City Council for Ward 8 in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He has served as Chair of the Civic Works Committee and is currently serving as Chair on the Planning and Environment Committee. He has served on the RBC Place Convention Centre Board (Executive Committee), Covent Garden Market Board, Dearness Home Board, Huron Water Board, Hyde Park Business Improvement Association Board, and the London Downtown Business Association Board. Mr. Lehman is also a member of the Oakridge Optimists and Royal Canadian Legion Vimy Branch.
With his business downtown for more than 30 years and his role as Councillor, representing Ward 8 in the west end and living in Oakridge, Mr. Lehman understands the challenges faced not only in the core, but also in the suburban areas of London. He looks forward to bringing that broad perspective to the London Police Service Board.
Mr. Lehman has two sons currently working and living in Toronto.
MAYOR JOSH MORGAN, MEMBER
Mayor Morgan was the first in his family to attend university after moving to London in 1998, to study at Western University. He achieved undergraduate degrees in Economics and Political Science, as well as a Master of Arts in Political Science.
Mayor Morgan is an active member of the London community, serving in leadership positions on multiple boards and organizations. He has previously served as the City of London Budget Chair for the 2016-2019 and 2020-2023 multi-year budgets. He stepped down from that role when he was appointed Deputy Mayor in December 2020, a position he occupied until he was elected Mayor in 2022.
COUNCILLOR SUSAN STEVENSON, MEMBER
Susan Stevenson is currently serving her first term as Councillor for Ward 4, City of London. She is a graduate from Western University and was a professional accountant from 1995-2020 (CGA, CPA). Ms. Stevenson’s well-respected public accounting practice operated in downtown London from 2006-2017, prior to her contract with an international leadership seminar company as their Director of Client Services. Ms. Stevenson also serves on the following boards: Middlesex-London Paramedic Services, Western Fair Association, Old East Village Business Improvement Association, RBC Place London, and Elgin Area Primary Water Supply System.
Ms. Stevenson was recently elected as a Director of the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, helping to bring London’s issues and perspectives to the forefront among our provincial policing counterparts.
Ms. Stevenson has trained extensively in leadership development and teamwork. She is a strong advocate for local businesses, families and the arts.
To learn more about Ms. Stevenson, please visit her website: www.susanstevenson.ca.
MIKE WALLACE, MEMBER
Mike has over 22 years experience at both the federal and municipal levels of government as an elected Member of Parliament and Municipal Councillor.
As a Member of Parliament, he was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and a member of the Standing Committee of Finance Committee. He also was part of the all-party working group on the issue of human trafficking.
Mike was also awarded the Order of Japan for his leadership in enhancing the relationship between the Canadian and Japanese governments. Mike has also been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
As a Municipal Councillor he chaired a number of standing committees over his elected service including the planning and budget committees.
Mike has been an active member of London’s Whole of Community Response to Health and Homelessness Strategic and Accountability Committee from its inception. He is also a key member of the London Chamber of Commerce Government Relations committee.
In his current position, as Executive Director of the London Development Institute, he provides valuable input from the business community perspective to the Police Services Board.
Mike is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a double Major in Economics and Political Science.
Mike and his wife live in London and have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.
Board Office Staff
STEPHANIE JOHANSSEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Stephanie Johanssen brings more than a decade of dedicated leadership service as a civilian professional in public safety, with extensive expertise in board governance, strategic planning, communications and stakeholder relations. As the former Executive Director of the Vancouver Police Board, Ms. Johanssen honed her skills in effective police oversight, always striving to deepen her understanding of the needs of both the community and police personnel.
Ms. Johanssen’s career at the Vancouver Police Department, which began in 2011 after several years in the financial services sector, included a period in the Professional Standards Section where she gained valuable insights into civilian oversight of policing, conflict management and alternate dispute resolution. During her subsequent eight years with the Vancouver Police Board, Ms. Johanssen channelled her passion for police governance into initiatives that enhanced community outreach, reduced hate crimes, strengthened governance policies, ensured adequate resources for policing, and laid the foundation for a robust equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) framework for the Board.
In acting as the Vancouver Police Board’s liaison to the BC Association of Police Boards, Ms. Johanssen collaborated on various issues affecting policing and police governance in British Columbia. She forged strong connections with sector peers in Ontario through the Canadian Association of Police Governance, and will continue to collaborate to strengthen the voice of police governance in this province.
Ms. Johanssen has completed the BC Police Board’s Program through the Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management Executive Programs. Currently, she is an Executive MBA candidate at the Queen’s University Smith School of Business and recently served on the Governance Committee of the Catalyst Community Development Society.
Ms. Johanssen’s key priorities, moving forward, include enhancing public trust through accessibility and transparency, and bridging the gap between the police and the community through communication, engagement and collaboration.
MELANIE COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Melanie Coleman was born and raised in London and has always enjoyed the city’s sense of community and culture. Her desire to serve others with integrity has shaped her education and early career in the field of travel and tourism. Her creativity and interest in tourism and hospitality led to more than 15 years of event and program management experience at Windermere Manor, FireRock Golf Club and The Ivey Academy.
Through these positions, Ms. Coleman has had the opportunity to build diverse relationships with clients, colleagues and leaders in the community. In her role as Executive Assistant to the London Police Service Board, Ms. Coleman enjoys contributing to this community of exceptional leaders.
In her spare time, she enjoys sunny vacations and going to theme parks and concerts. Her favourite travel companion is her teenage daughter.
