Jenny Sanford Finds Life, Perhaps Romance, After Divorce

Former first lady Jenny Sanford poses for a photograph with, from right, Bradley Lindler, Anna Louise Lindler and Orie Lindler during the annual First Lady’s Easter Egg hunt in Columbia, S.C. on Monday, March 22, 2010. Writing now about Martha Stewart’s brief career as a fashion model — and at Chanel, no less — we stumbled on a gem about Jenny Sanford, formerly married to South Carolina governor Mark Sanford. Gov Sanford is expected to be charged criminally tomorrow, resulting from a State Ethics Committee investigation of his actions in his Argentianian disappearing act with a woman later identified as his lover in June 2009. 

Our focus in the original Jenny post was her circumspect nature — and her restrained dignity — in dealing with those events.Clearly, Jenny Sanford is an American original, continuing to fulfill certain First Lady duties for the state of South Carolina, even though she is now divorced from the governor.

In our tabloid, let-it-all-hang-out American, poor-me culture, Jenny Sanford was honest, realistic and dignified in the face of extreme personal pain and heartbreak. Unlike Silda Spitzer, she did not say “the woman is supposed to take care of the sex”, assuming personal responsibility for her husband’s actions.

Jenny Sanford admitted that physical chemistry was never a major component in her marriage. Shared values were — or so then Mrs. Sanford thought, even though it was later revealed that her husband changed their wedding vows on issues of fidelity and monogamy.

For Jenny Sanford, like so many women, hope springs eternal. And of course, women also have affairs.

Clay BoardmanIn pursuit of Martha Stewart, we learn that Jenny Sanford has a new boyfriend. Clay Boardman is described as “the successful CEO of a prominent Augusta, Georgia venture capital firm and a former petroleum executive with a long and distinguished civic resume.”

The twosome was spotted at the Masters’ golf tournament in Augusta last week. FITSNews has also obtained property records indicating that Boardman owns a home located just down the Street from Mrs. Sanford’s Sullivans Island, S.C. residence.

ABC News reports that Sanford met Boardman when he attended her speech at the College of Charleston on March 17. They were introduced to each other by the college’s president and mutual friend, George Benson.

Typically we don’t call out celebrity news on AOC. But we do communicate positive messages about women who stand up for themselves in a dignified manner. Let’s hope that Jenny Sanford has some joy in her new romance. With her public track record in being honest yet not embarassing herself, her former husband or her children, she deserves her own good tidings.

Here you hear Barbara Walters talking about Jenny Sanford.

Update on Sat, September 11, 2010 by Anne

Jenny Sanford writes Why Leaving Worked for Me, explaining her decision to divorce SC Governor Mark Sanford for September, 2010 US Bazaar.