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!
Niyoka & Gioanny
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Niyoka Nelson, 35, IRS transcriber
Gioanny Polanco, 33, Executive Office Administrator
“People say we light up a room…and we agree!” says this captivating couple, who met four years ago at Henrietta Hudson in Manhattan. “Niyoka was dancing her tush off, and I was sitting on the stage. She tripped and literally fell into my lap,” Gioanny remembers. “We exchanged giggles, drinks, and phone numbers.” They recently moved to Georgia, where they bought a home together. They are avid readers, and Gioanny’s into bowling, while Niyoka is a pool shark. “We have been through many obstacles, but we always seem to rise above it in the end,” says Gioanny. “We have grown and learned so much from each other, and we look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.”
