Women In Profile - January/February 2008

Get to know the featured women this month - Lois Braithwaite,  Alexandra Cheshul,  Elisabeth Cirillo,  Emari DiGiorgio,  Fran Fox, Sharon Garland,  Jeanette Giemza,  Laurie Greene,  Corinne Sparenberg and Lucia Pou
 
Lois Braithwaite

Lois Braithwaite is the mother of one son, David, and wife of retired Judge Dennis Braithwaite. Lois’ interests are many as reflected in her varied careers as a federal employee, manager of her husband’s law firm, co-owner and operator of a preschool.

Her community activities included serving on the Atlantic County Ethics Board; serving as Commissioner, Vice-President, and President of South Jersey Transportation Authority; 24-year member of the Atlantic City Chapter of Links, Inc. (an African- American charity and civic organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of African-Americans); and board member of the Ruth Newman Shapiro Cancer and Heart Fund (RNS).

Lois is currently president of RNS, a wonderful organization dedicated to raising funds to assist the area hospitals in maintaining and upgrading their cancer and heart-fighting equipment to better serve the cancer and heart patients in this area. To date RNS has raised more than 10 million dollars since 1961 to this end.

Lois feels that it is important to be active in your community and to help and encourage others to do the same.

Alexandra Cheshul

Alexandra Cheshul won her first beauty pageant at the age of thirteen. She is a graduate of the John Roberts Powers Modeling In Philadelphia. After winning the Miss MAAI 2007, she attend the MAAI Convention in NYC and was signed by ID Models of New York (www.2NYC.net)

She has also signed with MMA Model Management in the Philadelphia area. Alexandra recently placed third in the Miss NJ Teen USA Pageant and has begun work as a model, while still attending school at Holy Spirit.

She hopes to attend college in the New York area, so she can pursue her modeling career. For fitness Alexandra enjoys working out at the Island Gym.

Elisabeth Cirillo

Elisabeth Cirillo came to this country from Germany in 1960 to marry her husband, Robert. They have three great children and five precious grandchildren. She lived in North Jersey for nearly forty years, but fell in love with South Jersey and the seashore.

After retirement, Elisabeth and her husband decided to downsize and move to Smithville where they currently reside. She loves cooking, baking, traveling, and gardening. Yoga and biking are a big part of her fitness program, along with walking the beach, especially in the summer. She enjoys studying yoga with Laurie Greene of Yoga Nine Studio.
 

Emari DiGiorgio

Emari DiGiorgio has been mistaken for a mermaid (on several occasions). When she’s not sunning herself at the shore or beefing up her biceps with intricate yoga postures, she is an Assistant Professor of Writing at The Richard Stockton College of NJ and a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Poet-in-the-Schools. She also teaches a monthly creative writing workshop at the South Jersey chapter of Gilda’s Club.

She is a graduate of New York University’s Master of Fine Arts program in poetry and was recently awarded the 2006 Ellen LaForge Memorial Poetry Prize and a 2007 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Poetry Fellowship. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Feminist Studies, Buffalo Carp, The Grolier Poetry Annual, The Marlboro Review, The Paterson Literary Review, and U.S. 1 Worksheets. She has been studying yoga with Laurie Green since 2005 and recently committed herself to the studio’s Yoga Teacher Training.

Fran Fox

Fran Fox has been a registered nurse for over 25 years. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Widener University. After leaving the hospital setting in 1996, Fran taught nursing students at Widener University and later earned her Certificate as a school nurse. In 2001 Fran was introduced to the Home Instead Senior Care franchise and has been successful in meeting the needs of seniors in the Camden and Burlington County areas. The Atlantic and Cape May County office has been opened since March and is growing daily in meeting the seniors needs in those areas.

Fran has been married to her husband Jim for 22 years, they have 2 children, Shane and Caitlin. She has been a trustee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society since 1990 and has successfully completed 6 marathons to benefit the Society’s mission to support research, patient services, and advocacy. Fran has an annual comedy night raising funds for the Team in Training and Man & Woman of the Year programs. In addition, Home Instead Senior Care supports non-profit organizations in the area.

“Home Instead Senior Care has provided me the balance in both my personal and professional life. My inspiration to continue in my business comes from my grandmother. In the early 80’s our society did not have the resources available for seniors that we have today.” Fran Fox has been a registered nurse for over 25 years. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Widener University. After leaving the hospital setting in 1996, Fran taught nursing students at Widener University and later earned her Certificate as a school nurse. In 2001 Fran was introduced to the Home Instead Senior Care franchise and has been successful in meeting the needs of seniors in the Camden and Burlington County areas. The Atlantic and Cape May County office has been opened since March and is growing daily in meeting the seniors needs in those areas.

Fran has been married to her husband Jim for 22 years, they have 2 children, Shane and Caitlin. She has been a trustee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society since 1990 and has successfully completed 6 marathons to benefit the Society’s mission to support research, patient services, and advocacy. Fran has an annual comedy night raising funds for the Team in Training and Man & Woman of the Year programs. In addition, Home Instead Senior Care supports non-profit organizations in the area.

“Home Instead Senior Care has provided me the balance in both my personal and professional life. My inspiration to continue in my business comes from my grandmother. In the early 80’s our society did not have the resources available for seniors that we have today.”

Sharon Garland

Sharon Garland began her yoga journey eight years ago. Practicing with various teachers until she met Laurie Greene. Recognizing a rare opportunity to deepen her practice with an exceptional yoga teacher, she began to study with Laurie at Yoga Nine. Joining the Yoga Nine Teacher Training class in January of ‘07, she studied with Edward Clark, Simon Park, Laura Allard, Doug Swenson, David Romanelli, Brian Kest, and Suzanne Webber to name a few.

Her down to earth humor, logical explanations and warmth make her gentle classes fun and informative. She is currently continuing her studies and instructing therapeutic horseback riding, incorporating yoga in what she says is her passion. Sharon owns and operates Garland Graphics and is Assistant Editor and Production Artist for City Atlantic Magazine.


Jeanette Giemza
Jeanette Giemza has had a passion for travel since she was a teenager visiting her great-aunt in England. Her travels in England and France developed her love of travel and motivated her to pursue a career as a flight attendant.

It was a natural progression to enter the travel agency business. Jeanette’s current business, Preferred Travel, has been serving clients since 1980, and has been recognized as the best from several sources. Her love of travel and enthusiasm for excellence is contagious.

For fitness Jeanette loves to go hiking and kayaking when traveling. When at home she works out at the gym, and for five years, has been enjoying Pilates. She has been a longtime supporter of animal welfare and has two adopted dogs from rescue organizations.
 
Laurie Greene
Holding a PhD in Anthropology, Laurie Greene has taught linguistics and anthropology at Stockton College since 1986 and practiced yoga since age 15, having grown up in a “yoga family”. Laurie is now the owner and director of Yoga Nine Studio and Fair Trade Store in Smithville, NJ.

Always an enthusiastic student, Laurie combines her training in a variety of classical “hatha” yoga traditions, bringing insights and techniques from all these to her eclectic teaching and practice. Her teaching in anthropology and yoga blends these various influences into a practice that is passionate, creative and fun. Laurie’s dedication to Fair Trade and the “greening” of businesses has led to the creation of a Yoga Nine community of aware individuals making a difference. Yoga Nine was voted Third in the national “Green Business of the Year Award” 2007 by Co-Op America. As a teacher, she has had a positive impact on the lives of a wide variety of people.

Corinne Sparenberg
Born and raised in Atlantic City, Corinne has devoted more than 45 years to volunteer organizations throughout the County, serving in various capacities. She is an active Member of the Board of Directors for the Miss America Organization (MAO), has served as an MAO volunteer Hostess for the past 33 years, and is currently Chairman of the MAO’s Hostess Committee. Although broadcasts of Miss America Pageants have recently been moved to Las Vegas, Corinne is proud of the fact that she actively communicates through newsletters and meetings with the more than 145 former Atlantic City based Hostesses.

In other capacities, Corinne has volunteered her time and energy as a “hotline” telephone worker supporting the Contact Cape Atlantic Crisis Intervention and Reassurance Program. She has also supported and served in various capacities including, Board Member, Vice President, and President of the (RNS) Cancer and Heart Fund; the Cresset Jr. Women’s Club; the Town & Country Women’s Club; and the South Jersey Aids Alliance. She is also a past member of the N. J. Federation of Women’s Clubs. Corinne has three grown children, three grandchildren, and currently resides in Linwood with her husband Dave.


Lucia Pou
Lucia Pou was born in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. She came to the United States when she was 16 years old and became a citizen in 2004. Lucia has an A.A. in Studio Arts from Atlantic Cape Community College and a B.S. in Geology from Stockton. She works as an Engineering Geologist with the firm of Buchart Horn in Marlton, New Jersey.

Lucia does a lot of work for the NJDOT and the DEP, doing sampling tests for soil and water contamination. She has been doing yoga for eight years and recently pursued the Yoga Teacher Training. Yoga is a very big part of the healthy lifestyle she has chosen to keep fit and happy.