Saying that they are committed to improving the quality of life in the Village of Farmingdale by implementing open government, fiscal responsibility, honesty and integrity; George Graf, Thomas Langon and Joseph Rachiele have announced their candidacy for office in the village. Elections will take place on March 16.

Graf, running for mayor, is a 20-year resident of the community. After a successful 20-year career in the brokerage and banking business in NYC, he is pursuing a master's degree in education at Hofstra University. Graf is a 1976 graduate of Smithtown West High School; received his BS in finance in 1981 from CW Post and a MBA in finance in 1988 from Pace University.

Graf most recently was senior vice president of planning and analysis at Schroders Inc. Prior to that, he was first vice president of global planning and analysis at Republic National Bank and associate director of management reporting & analysis at Bear, Stearns, Inc. Graf noted that throughout his career on Wall Street, he has had extensive experience in strategic planning and analysis of revenue and expense.

Graf believes that in his 20 years as a Farmingdale resident, he has established a strong record of civic commitment and community involvement. Currently, he is a Cub Scout leader and committee member for Pack 601 and a Boy Scout leader for Troop 261. He also serves as a coach for PAL and Farmingdale Soccer.

In 2003, Graf became a member of the Farmingdale Village Smart Growth Committee, which is committed to defining the future development of the village. He was on the subcommittee addressing the zoning code. He is also a member of the Farmingdale Breakfast Rotary Club. George is married to Nancy and is the father of three children.

Langon, running for trustee, is a 33-year resident of Farmingdale. Langon is a senior loan officer with HSBC Mortgage. As a young man, Langon played baseball and basketball for Farmingdale PAL. A graduate of Farmingdale HS, he attended SUNY Farmingdale and NYIT, where he studied architecture.

Langon was a Cub Scout leader and executive committee member for Pack 607. He is currently on the executive committee of Farmingdale Baseball and has dedicated many hours coordinating various events for the league.

In 2003, Langon became a member of the Farmingdale Village Smart Growth Committee. He worked on the subcommittee addressing "Open Spaces." He is also a member of the chamber of commerce and is a longtime parishioner at St. Kilian's Church. Langon is married and the father of three children.

Rachiele, a safety inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and current member of the Farmingdale Planning Board, is an eight-year resident of the community. He was the first member of the Farmingdale Planning Board to receive a certificate for successful completion of the NYS run program for planning board members.

Rachiele is a 1978 graduate of Aviation HS and received his BS from Lehman College, graduating with departmental honors in economics. He received a master's degree in business administration in 1988 from Manhattan College.

In his eight years as a Farmingdale resident, Rachiele noted that he has established a record of strong civic and community involvement. He was a Cub Scout leader and executive committee member of Pack 601. He served as a baseball coach for PAL and Farmingdale Baseball. He is also on the executive committee of Farmingdale Baseball.

Rachiele became a member of the Farmingdale Village Smart Growth Committee in 2003. He was on the subcommittee addressing transportation. He is also a member of the Farmingdale Breakfast Rotary Club. Rachiele is married and the father of three children.