James Sheridan and Joseph Buss have been named to the Coast Guard Foundation Board of Trustees.
For Moorestown residents James Sheridan and Joseph Buss, service has been one of the main threads interwoven throughout the fabric of their lives. From their time in the military to volunteer efforts in their community, Sheridan and Buss have made giving back a priority.
Now, they are focusing their charitable efforts on a nonprofit dedicated to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families. Buss and Sheridan have been named to the Coast Guard Foundation Board of Trustees and Directors to oversee the organization and provide resources to support the foundation’s mission. The Coast Guard Foundation provides education, support and relief to those serving in the Coast Guard and their families.
The Navy was something of the family business for Sheridan. He said his father served in the Navy during World War II, and his uncle got a commission in the Navy through ROTC. For that reason, he always had something of an affinity for the branch and left his home on Staten Island for the ROTC program at Villanova University.
Upon graduating, Sheridan spent 26 years in both active service and the naval reserve before retiring as a Navy captain. He said his time in the service gave him a sense of purpose, and as a sonar office on a submarine, he learned skills that would set up him for his career later on.
In 1986, Sheridan joined the reserves. While doing a two-week cruise on a frigate out of Philadelphia, a Coast Guard detachment of 12 people was on board. He said the detachment had to deal with a drug-related situation in the Caribbean, and their ship gave them the assets to get where they needed to be. Sheridan said he witnessed firsthand the professionalism with which the Coast Guard operates.
Buss also grew up with a father and uncle who served in the Navy.
“Growing up as a child, I felt a call to serve,” Buss said.
Upon graduating Moorestown High School, Buss entered the United States Naval Academy and served in the Marine Corps for five years. During the Gulf War, Buss was a midshipman. He said that time sparked his interest in joining the Marine Corps, and during his time with the Marines, Buss was deployed to mid-Africa. He said the most fulfilling aspect of his time in the service was getting to see life from an array of different cultural and economic perspectives.
He said he was on active duty when he learned he was about to become a father. For that reason, Buss decided to transition into the reserves.
After the service, both Sheridan and Buss found their way back to Moorestown. For Sheridan, found a position at RCA in Moorestown where he brought his knowledge of sonar systems to the company to do anti-submarine work.
RCA subsequently became Lockheed Martin where Sheridan currently is the vice president and general manager of Naval Combat and Missile Defense Systems. He is responsible for all the of the Navy’s Aegis programs, including maritime ballistic missile defense and the Aegis Ashore for the Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors line.
Buss also went on to work at Lockheed Martin when he joined the reserves. He served in a variety of roles before being approached by a Lockheed executive about joining ASRC Federal where he is the vice president and general manager for Mission Solutions.
Through ASRC, Buss built a relationship with the Coast Guard. He said ASRC had him lead a recapitalization program where he worked in collaboration with the Coast Guard. Buss said it was through that program that he built strong relationships and a new appreciation for members of the Coast Guard.
The foundation also provides scholarships for children and spouses as well. Buss said the area of particular interest for him as a board member is the Fallen Heroes Scholarship. He said the scholarship provides emergency assistance to families and loved ones of a service member who was lost. He said between that and disaster relief, he wants to focus his efforts in terms of driving support between corporate partners and providing financial assistance.
Both men said they formed relationships with the Coast Guard Foundation through work, but the organization has become a passion project for Buss and Sheridan. Sheridan said when natural disasters and hurricanes strike, the Coast Guard steps in, but often those same individuals are also impacted by these storms. He said that is when the foundation steps in to provide its support.
“What [Lockheed can] do for the Navy and Coast Guard is one thing,” Sheridan said. “To see how this organization gives back to the community is what makes me feel good in the evening. That’s just rewarding.”
To learn more about the Coast Guard Foundation, visit https://coastguardfoundation.org/.
