Meet Mayor Joette Langianese

My Story

In 1997, I achieved my dream of moving to Moab, Utah. I began my career here as the Chief Compliance Officer at Allen Memorial Hospital, which was the precursor to Moab Regional Hospital. In this role, I was responsible for monitoring Medicare/Medicaid fraud and abuse. Shortly thereafter, I was asked to consider running for the Grand County Council, and I successfully earned a Council seat in 2001, serving a second term through 2008.

While on the Council, I focused my efforts on supporting our community’s aging population. Recognizing that Moab had only 14 long-term care beds available at the time, which often forced frail residents to leave the area for necessary care, I committed to ensuring that our aging community members had the choice to remain here as they aged and required additional care. With the help of many dedicated Grand County citizens, we formed the Moab Area Partnership for Seniors (MAPS). Our primary goal for MAPS was to develop and implement a plan that would offer a full continuum of care, giving aging residents the option to stay in Grand County. I am proud of this work and remain involved in the Canyonlands Healthcare Special Service District today.

Regarding my personal background, I was born in a small Italian village in northwestern Pennsylvania. I discovered Utah when I moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah, where I received my BS in Community Health Education with an emphasis in Gerontology (the study of aging). I then moved to San Francisco, California, to work for an emerging Long Term Care organization called the Program For All Inclusive Care For The Elderly (PACE), where I managed an adult day care center that offered an alternative to nursing home care. I received my Master’s Degree in Gerontology at San Francisco State University.