Whitman Named Honorary Chairwoman of HomeSharing Gala

Former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman will serve as the honorary chairwoman of HomeSharing’s 2011 Harvest Jubilee Nov. 9.

The gala will honor Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R-11] and Olympic track star and businesswoman Joetta Clark Diggs. Platinum sponsor of the event is MICRO, of Franklin.

"I am honored to chair this gala because I have tremendous respect for the unique and vital work that HomeSharing does, and I am particularly pleased to be a part of honoring two of New Jersey's finest in Congressman Frelinghuysen and Joetta Clark Diggs," Whitman said. "This promises to be a great event showcasing the fine work throughout New Jersey."

Whitman was the 50th governor of New Jersey, serving as its first woman governor from 1994 until 2001. She then served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January 2001 to June 2003.

Prior to becoming governor, Whitman was president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and served on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Whitman is president of The Whitman Strategy Group [WSG], a consulting firm that specializes in energy and environmental issues. She is also co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council [RLC], with Sen. John Danforth, of Missouri.

Frelinghuysen is in his ninth term as the representative for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, serving as New Jersey's senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Frelinghuysen graduated from Hobart College in 1969. After graduation, Frelinghuysen served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. After returning from Vietnam in 1971, he became Morris County's state and federal aid coordinator.

From 1974 to 1983, Frelinghuysen served three terms as a member of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and then went on to serve in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1983 to 1994.

A four-time Olympian, Clark Diggs has been America’s premier middle distance runner for more than three decades. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Clark Diggs is considered the most proliferate 800-meter runner of all time. She was ranked in the top 10 in America for more than 10 years and was ranked in the top 10 of the world nine times.

A native of New Jersey and a Somerset County resident, Clark Diggs is the author of Joetta’s “P” Principles and “Life Lessons Learned from Track and Field.” She is president of Joetta Sports & Beyond, LLC, and executive director of the Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation. She spends her time delivering motivational seminars to athletic programs, businesses and other organizations throughout America.

Frelinghuysen and Clark Diggs will each receive the Shuey Horowitz Humanitarian Award. The award is named after the founder of HomeSharing, a non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent homelessness by matching "providers"—residents who need to share their homes or apartments in order to maintain them—with "seekers," individuals searching for affordable housing in the community. 

HomeSharing is unique by being the only agency in New Jersey that prevents homelessness full-time through the home sharing model.

The Harvest Jubilee will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Basking Ridge Country Club in Bernards. Gold sponsor of the event is Frank and Mary Jane Semcer.

Tickets are $175 per person and sponsorships are still available. A silent auction will also be held both at the gala and online, beginning Oct. 25.

For more information about the event or to buy tickets, call HomeSharing at 908-526-4663, or contact executive director Renee Drell at rdrell@verizon.net.