Ira Costell has been a resident of the Three Village-Port Jefferson Station area for more than 50 years.
A graduate of Suffolk County Community College, Ira graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from C.W. Post College. He also holds a master’s degree in Environmental Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ira is the father of two daughters who attended Comsewogue High School.
Ira has a record of region-wide leadership in the fields of environ- mental conservation and preservation. He served as Chair of the Suffolk County Pine Barrens Review Commission. He was also New York State Commissioner of the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area Planning Commission.
In addition, Ira was a member of the County Executive’s Water- shed Protection Advisory Committee. He was also a member of the Long Island Maritime Preserve Study Group and the Suffolk County Watershed Protection Advisory Committee.
Ira has also been deeply committed to the fight against opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse. A New York State-Certified Addiction and Recovery Coach, he is the Vice President for Business Development at T.R.U.S.T. and Pure Recovery, Farmingdale-based organizations that promote the long-term recovery of individuals with substance use disorder. Ira serves as a member of the Family Advisory Committee of Families in Support of Treatment (FIST) and serves as its legislative liaison.
He has served as a Lecturer and Outreach Specialist with the Long Island Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, and organized
a series of Advocacy Days in Albany in support of addressing the opioid crisis to save lives, and expanded assistance for those recovering from addiction.
Ira Costell has been a prominent advocate for Democratic Party principles in our region. He was a regular guest panelist represent- ing the Democratic point of view on News 12 Long Island’s “Long Island Talking Trump” television series.
A successful businessman, Ira Costell has served for 34 years as Chief Operating Officer of Rimflow, Inc., a Port Jefferson Station- based designer of public pools for communities and institutions nationwide.
Ira is member of the Long Island Symphonic Choral Association and, reflecting his interest in historic preservation, is founder of the Culper Spy Ring Tour in the Town of Brookhaven’s Council Ward 1.