After 38 Years, Health Division Coordinator Dianne Langlois To Retire

CHATHAM – After 38 years as the gatekeeper for the town’s health division, Dianne Langlois has learned a lot about septic systems, sanitary codes and inspections.

Langlois, who will retire as department coordinator on Friday, put together a list of her duties for her successor, and it ran to 13 pages.

“There have been many changes over the years,” she said in an interview last week, “a lot of them positive.” There’s a lot more involving public health these days, including sewers, and the COVID pandemic challenged everyone in the department.

When Langlois began, the health department was located in a tiny office in the old section of the downtown town office building. After shuffling among several spaces there, the department moved to the annex when it opened on George Ryder Road, where natural resources departments — health, conservation and coastal resources — shared half of the first floor. Langlois sat at the front desk, where she greeted the public and answered questions about septic plans, sewer connections and inspections. She is one of the town’s longest-serving employees.

“The public and staff have been great,” she said, adding that she’s worked with three different health agents over the years. “I’m going to miss a lot of people I interact with on a daily basis.”

Whenever someone with Langlois’ length of service retires, a lot of institutional knowledge is lost. This time it might be even more significant as longtime health agent Judy Giorgio will also be retiring in July.

“Judy and I work well together,” Langlois said. “There will be some changes,” she predicted with their departure.

But for Langlois, it’s time. She’s looking forward to having the time to do “whatever comes up” and not be tied to a desk or to taking minutes at board meetings.

“I wanted to be able to travel and enjoy the next chapter,” she said (she’s got a visit to Sweden planned with her sister to see where their grandparents are from, among other sites). She also plans to visit her daughter Brittany, a teacher in Sacramento. Her son Eli lives and works locally. Her husband Ron drives an RTA bus.

Asked if there was anything about the job that she won’t miss, she replied “getting up at 5 a.m. to get here for 7.”

“It will be nice to sleep in,” she said.

A public coffee reception for Langlois will be held June 26 at 9 a.m. at the annex.