The Texas Center for Community Journalism is happy to welcome two new consultants who will help to provide answers for the questions Texas community journalists ask. Joining the Center’s group of specialists are Max Heath of Shelbyville, Ky., and Michael Sherrod of Fort Worth.
Heath is one of the nation’s best-known specialists in postal issues and Sherrod is a pioneer in new media business models. They join TCCJ consultants with specialties in law, publication design, writing, advertising sales, freedom of information and innovative approaches to community journalism.
TCCJ consultants provide answers to questions sent in by community newspapers to the Ask an Expert feature of the Center’s website, www.tccj.tcu.edu. They also advise the staff of the Center.
Heath is a semi-retired postal consultant for Publishing Group of America (American Profile/Relish/Spry), and for Landmark Community Newspapers, Inc., a division of Landmark Communications. For 21 years he was executive editor and for 23 years corporate circulation director as well.
Heath writes a monthly Postal Tips column for Publisher’s Auxiliary. He was named to the Postal Service Mailer’s Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) representing NNA in 1989 and is also on the national Periodical Operations Advisory Committee, and the rule-making Periodicals Advisory Group.
He received the National Newspaper Association’s President’s Award in 1989, 1997, and 2007, the Ambassador Award in 1992, and the Amos Award for service to NNA in 1994.The Postal Service presented him a Special Achievement Award in 1997.
Michael Sherrod has been a pioneer in the online world since 1985. At the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he created and sold one of the world’s first electronic advertisements to AT&T through an innovative videotext news service he helped manage.
Sherrod founded or co-founded 10 companies, including DigitalCity.com. He served in senior management roles at AMR Information Services, AOL, Ancestry.com, and examiner.com where he was founding president & CEO.
He recently served as the first publisher of TexasTribune.org, a non-profit, non-partisan media site covering Texas government, politics and policy.
He is currently entrepreneur in residence at the Neeley School of Business at TCU.