Hardworking and dedicated, Marie A. Langan is proud of her professional successes. Her path wasn’t easy; she struggled to make ends meet early in life, but she persevered. After attaining her GED, Ms. Langan enrolled in an environmental training course, came out third in her class, and was one of two selected to participate in fieldwork identifying polluted waters for the government. Ms. Langan excelled in the role and was promoted to code enforcer and housing code enforcer in Enfield, Connecticut, a few years later. She then transitioned housing specialist in the Judicial Department of the State of Connecticut in 1983. This move was especially notable because housing specialists usually need at least a bachelor’s degree. The quality of Ms. Langan’s work, however, was so good that she was accepted to the position anyway. Her primary responsibility there was dealing with negotiations in the Connecticut Housing Court between landlords and tenants based on evictions, claims for money damages, or code enforcement issues. She retired in 1997.
One of Ms. Langan’s favorite parts of the job was meeting people and working with them and their attorneys. Her background gave her a unique perspective on the cases she handled; she was particularly empathetic to the underdog tenants and felt compelled to ensure they understood the opportunities available to them. She found being able to offer referrals to resources these people may not have been aware of to be very rewarding.
To enhance her knowledge and her standing in the field, Ms. Langan eventually decided to complete some classes at Asnuntuck Community College and New Hampshire College. She also joined prominent organizations like the Association of Housing Code Enforcement Officers and the Connecticut Association of Housing Code Enforcement Officers, as well as the planning and development committee of Uniform Statewide Housing Code, the Connecticut General Assembly, and the interim study subcommittee of the planning and development committee of the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act.
Outside of her work, Ms. Langan liked giving back to her community. She was active in positions like board of directors of Big Brothers & Big Sisters, head coach of the Enfield Lancers, school chairperson and president of the Parents Group at Enfield Day Care Center Inc. (now Bright Horizons at Bright Meadow), and member of the French-Canadian Genealogists Society of Connecticut. Her other interests include reading, photography, needle crafts, quilting, home restoration, and stained glass.
