America’s Most Captivating Couples 2008
Newton, Massachusetts
Jennifer Chrisler, 37, Executive Director, Family Equality Council
Cheryl Jaques, 45, Lawyer, Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten
Jennifer and Cheryl met almost 15 years ago when Jennifer got involved in Cheryl’s campaign for state senate. They were friends for five years before they started dating. As the Executive Director of the Family Equality Council (formerly Family Pride), Jennifer fights for the rights of all loving families, regardless of blood relation or sexual orientation. In addition to being a lawyer, Cheryl is the former head of the Human Rights Campaign. They are the proud parents of two sons, Tom and Tim, age five. “We love spending time with our kids, playing checkers, go fish and Connect Four. For gown-up fun, we love going to estate sales to find treasures, and taking long walks together,” says Jennifer. Their secret: “We try to remember to attack our problems instead of each other. Whenever we face adversity in our lives, we remain focused on what we are trying to solve instead of getting angry with each other about the situation we’re in. It also helps to have a good sense of humor, and to laugh together often.”
The results are in! After a grueling selection process, we’ve skimmed the sweet cream off this year’s batch of entries and whipped it into GO’s most captivating couples of 2008. Many more couples coming soon!
Devorah & Sarah
Manhattan / Queens, NY
Devorah , 25, Account Manager in Speaker Relations
Sarah Croce, 24, Actress
A housewarming party was the scene of their first meeting. Devorah had paused to apply lip gloss when Sarah appeared in the mirror and they locked eyes through their reflections. Sarah disappeared into the crowd, but Dev located her with the help of some friends. “Who’s that girl,” she demanded, “the sexy one with the dreads?!” They were soon introduced, and thus began their romance. “I brought a U-haul to our second date, obviously,” says Sarah, who is currently in production as the lead role in two independent films. Dev coordinates speaking engagements for politicians, civil rights leaders and best-selling authors. Together, they snowboard, travel and “refuse to get boring, à la Bette and Tina.” What makes them captivating? “We represent the new generation in sexy, strong, reform-minded women. We are changing the world.”
