Parties name candidates for Malverne trustee races

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Malverne’s Independent Party and the Hometown Pride Party recently announced their slates for this year’s village election, in which two trustee seats are open. Heading the campaign for the Independent Party is Deputy Mayor Perry Cuocci, who is running alongside former Deputy Mayor Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Lifelong Malvernite Lori Lang is the Hometown Pride Party candidate.

Jack O’Brien, a village trustee for the past 12 years, chose not to seek re-election. “The village is very grateful to have had the dedication and expertise of Jack O’Brien as trustee for the past 12 years,” said Mayor Keith Corbett.

Cuocci, 56, was first elected in 2017, after having been appointed by then Mayor Patti Ann McDonald. In addition to acting as board liaison to the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and the Malverne Chamber of Commerce, Cuocci is a long-serving officer of the Malverne Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Following a 20-year career with the FBI, he recently joined the security department of Con Edison.

“Malverne is a special little place . . . a refuge in the middle of much chaos,” Cuocci said. “All of the community involvement and dedicated volunteers we have help to keep Malverne strong. I’m eager to continue to work hard for all of our residents and continue our many accomplishments.”

A certified public accountant and a partner in the law firm Canzoneri & Canzoneri, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, 55, said she hoped that her financial and municipal experience would be an asset for the village board. She was a member of the Nassau County Sewer and Storm Water Finance Authority and served as a village trustee under McDonald from 2011 to 2018. As a trustee, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick held the positions of police and fire commissioner, in addition to youth board and merchants liaison. In November she challenged State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin for her seat in the 21st District, but lost a close race.

“I look forward to continuing to serve my community,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “Each of us has skills that complement the others on the board in order to achieve great results. Malverne is a great place to live, and I want to ensure that it remains that way for my four children.”

Lang, 47, runs her own business, Simplify Home Organization & Design, in Malverne. She has been involved in fundraisers and drives in the community since she was a teenager, when she became a member of the village youth board at age 14. Last March, she and her sister, Bridget Jelovcic, launched the group Malverne Feeding Our Heroes, collecting donations to send food to groups of first responders, volunteers and essential workers throughout the village.

Lang said she decided to run because she believes her background in public relations and communications would be a great fit for the village board. “For village government to be effective, we need people with different backgrounds and different views, and we have to be open to all our residents’ input,” she said. “What’s most important to me is communicating transparently with our residents and making sure that our business district stays open and stays thriving post-Covid-19.”

The election will take place March 16 in the Malverne Firehouse, at 30 Broadway Ave.