Jenny Sanford facts for kids

Jennifer Sullivan Sanford (born September 11, 1962) is well-known as the former First Lady of South Carolina. She also worked as an investment banker, helping companies with big financial deals. She was married to Mark Sanford, who served as the Governor of the state.

Early Life and Education

Jennifer Sanford grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, which is a nice suburb near Chicago. She was the second of five children in an Irish Catholic family. Her family was quite important in the area. Her great-grandfather, Joseph W. Sullivan, helped start Skil Corporation. This company made the very first portable electric saw.

Her uncle and another grandfather were both lawyers. They led a big law firm called Winston and Strawn. Jennifer Sanford is also related to Anne Reynolds Skakel. Anne was married to Rushton Skakel, who was the brother of Ethel Kennedy.

Sanford went to Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart. This was an all-girls Catholic school in Lake Forest, Illinois. She later earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in 1984. She graduated with high honors, known as magna cum laude.

Career Highlights

From 1984 to 1990, Jennifer Sanford worked at Lazard Freres & Company. This was an investment bank located in New York City. She eventually became a vice president there. Her job involved working in the group that handled mergers and acquisitions. This is when companies combine or buy other companies.

Sanford has often been thought of as a possible candidate for political office herself. In 2012, after Senator Jim DeMint resigned, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley considered Sanford for the open Senate seat. Sanford had supported Haley's run for governor. However, Governor Haley chose Rep. Tim Scott instead.

After Scott became a Senator, both Jenny Sanford and Mark Sanford were mentioned as possible candidates for Scott's open House seat. On January 14, 2013, she announced that she would not run in that election.

Sanford also showed interest in becoming the President of the College of Charleston in 2014. This was when the previous president, P. George Benson, retired. However, she later decided not to be considered for the position.

In December 2013, Sanford was appointed to the Charleston County Aviation Authority Board. This board helps manage the airports in Charleston County.

During the 2014 election season, Sanford supported a candidate from a different political party. She endorsed Ginny Deerin, who was the Democratic Party candidate for South Carolina Secretary of State. Deerin was running against the Republican in office, Mark Hammond.

In March 2015, Sanford expressed interest in becoming the Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. This department works to protect public health and the environment in South Carolina.

Personal Life and Family

Marriage to Mark Sanford

Jennifer met her future husband, Mark Sanford, at a beach party in the Hamptons on Long Island. She later shared that it wasn't "love at first sight." Instead, it felt more like "friendship at first sight." The couple got married in 1989 and had four sons together.

Mark Sanford decided to enter politics after their second son was born. Jennifer later said it was "quite a surprise" to her. She was still in the hospital with their newborn when he told her he would run for Congress.

In 1994, she helped manage her husband's successful campaign for the United States House of Representatives. She also managed his successful campaign for Governor of South Carolina in 2002.

Sanford also gave advice to her husband when he was in Congress. She helped him daily during his first term as governor. She also co-managed his successful re-election campaign in 2006. In 2005, she started the Healthy South Carolina Challenge. This program aimed to reduce common preventable diseases. She also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations. These include the Hollings Cancer Center and the Drayton Hall historical property in Charleston. She also helps the Coastal Community Foundation and the Children's Hospital Advisory Fund.

Challenges and Divorce

In 2009, after some time away from South Carolina, her husband admitted to having challenges in their marriage. Jennifer Sanford later stated that they had agreed to a trial separation before this public announcement.

On August 7, 2009, she moved out of the South Carolina Governor's Mansion. She returned to the family home on Sullivan's Island with their four sons. On December 11, 2009, she announced that she was filing for divorce. The Sanfords' divorce was finalized on March 19, 2010.

She later wrote a book called Staying True. It was released on February 5, 2010. The book shares her experiences during this difficult time and how it affected her life.

On February 3, 2013, Sanford found Mark Sanford at her Sullivan's Island house. Their divorce agreement stated that Mark was not allowed to visit her house without her permission. She filed a complaint the next day, saying he had broken this agreement. Mark Sanford said he had gone to the house to watch the second half of the Super Bowl XLVII with his son. He claimed he tried to contact Jenny beforehand but could not.

Marriage to Andy McKay

In 2018, Jennifer Sanford married Andy McKay. He is an investment banker from Louisville, Kentucky.