Report: McGreevey working to build new resume

Former New Jersey governor James E. McGreevey wants to get involved in public policy issues and is slowly starting to build a new resume, according to his advisers. McGreevey, 47, has a scheduled public speaking engagement at Harvard University, and also plans to visit people living in poverty, including in Appalachia, Mississippi, and California, state senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) told The Philadelphia Inquirer. The former Democratic governor is currently working as a lawyer at Lesniak's Parsippany-based law firm, handling real estate development clients. Advisers said McGreevey remains interested in education, urban policy, health issues, and transportation and could end up at a foundation or think tank. "The guy's got tons of experiences," Scott Widmeyer, a Manhattan public relations executive who has been helping with McGreevey's transition, told the Inquirer. "He's got a great mind. He's got a great vision for the future. He's widely respected. He charted new ground on a lot of things as governor." McGreevey announced his planned resignation in August during a now-famous speech in which he acknowledged being gay and having an affair, declaring, "My truth is that I am a gay American." He resigned over a gay affair with a man identified as Golan Cipel, an Israeli hired by the governor in 2002 to be homeland security adviser despite having little experience. Cipel has steadfastly denied any involvement with McGreevey. Senate president Richard J. Codey became acting governor in November and will fill out the term until January 2006. Lesniak said McGreevey is "is doing wonderful now," and is taking things slowly despite receiving steady requests for interviews and books. "He's starting to feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders," Lesniak told the Inquirer.