Dr. Thomas Sheeran, a longtime member of the faculty in Niagara University’s College of Education, was elected to the position of third vice president of the New York State Magistrate’s Association at its most recent annual meeting. This position is a prelude to moving through the organization’s vice presidential roles and, ultimately, to the positions of president-elect and president.

The New York State Magistrate’s Association, the largest judicial association in the country, represents more than 2,200 town and village judges in the 1,300 local courts across New York state. Dr. Sheeran previously served as treasurer for the organization.

For the past 28 years, Dr. Sheeran has served as the town justice in Lewiston, N.Y. He was recently re-elected to an eighth four-year term. He has also been a member of the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics for the past 12 years. The organization advises judges at all levels of New York state’s judiciary on the rules of behavior that must be followed in both their public and private lives.

Dr. Sheeran, who is the senior faculty member in the College of Education, is celebrating his 50th anniversary of service to the university this year.