Bill Sheridan

Lessons from a diplomat

Towson magazine, winter 2008: This was a fascinating assignment about Michael Ranneberger, a 1971 Towson University graduate and the United States' ambassador to Kenya. Here's a blurb:

He has spent most of the past 30 years on foreign soil, in some of the most inhospitable places on earth. He has helped broker peace in war-torn countries and brought a hint of democracy to places where leaders have ruled absolutely.

Michael Ranneberger's heart, though, has never left the United States.

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Family ties

Towson magazine, winter 2007: At Big Brothers Big Sisters, Robin Tomechko, a 1986 Towson University graduate, turns the vision of helping a child into an everyday reality. Here's a blurb of the article I wrote about Tomechko for Towson magazine.

Robin Tomechko's organization helped 1,750 at-risk children in the Baltimore area last year, a 483 percent increase since she took her job eight years ago. So why isn't she satisfied?

"Our goal is to serve 2,000 kids this year," says Tomechko, president and CEO of Baltimore-based Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland. "But when I look at the statistics and see that there are 60,000 kids in this area who are at risk and need these types of services, serving 2,000 doesn't say much to me. If we could serve 5,000 or 6,000, that would be at least the tip of the iceberg."

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Strike up the band

Towson magazine, fall 2006: This was an interesting assignment about Robert Carnochan, a Towson University graduate and director of the Texas Longhorns Band. Here's a blurb:

If college football had a Hit Parade, "Texas Fight" would be in the Top 10. The rousing anthem is one of the most recognizable fight songs in the country, with good reason: It's played every time the Texas Longhorsn score, and these days, those scores are coming in bushels.

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Check, please

Towson magazine, summer 2006: This was a fun article to write. It's about professional lacrosse, and it appeared in the summer 2006 edition of Towson, the alumni magazine of Towson University in Maryland. Here's a summary:

Huge contracts, mammoth signing bonuses, endorsement deals, fame, power, glory -- today's professional athletes have it all. Right, Hunter Lochte?

"I think my contract is for $6,000 for the summer," the 2004 Towson University graduate says, "provided I suit up for every game."

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Saving our breath

Towson magazine, winter 2006: Here's an article I wrote for the winter 2006 edition of Towson, the alumni magazine of Towson University in Maryland. It's a profile of Stephen Peregoy, president and CEO of the American Lung Association in Maryland. Here's a blurb:

Twenty percent of Marylanders smoke. Twelve percent have asthma. By some estimates, more than 20 percent of Marylanders are directly affected by some sort of lung-related illness. And fully 100 percent of them must cope with some of the worst air quality in the nation. By all accounts, Stephen Peregoy has his hands full.

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