Dr. Earl Sheridan is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina, graduating from John T. Hoggard High School in 1971. He received his B.A. in political science from Appalachian State University in 1975 and his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1980. Following his graduation, he taught political science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, until his retirement in 2015. From 1992-2000, he served as chair of the political science department and was chosen to serve another term as department chair in 2013.

An active member of his community, Sheridan is the author of several articles and papers on political ideology and race. From 1987 to 1996, he was president of the New Hanover County Branch of the NAACP. He also served on the 1898 Memorial Foundation, the board of the Domestic Violence Shelter and Services and the Commission of African-American History at the city of Wilmington.

In 2005 he was elected to a term on the Wilmington City Council. As a council member, he currently serves as chair of the Naming Committee, chair of the Evaluations Committee, and on the audit committee and Transportation Advisory Commission. He has also served on the Thalian Hall Board of Trustees and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization.

When the city received a grant from the North Carolina E-Authority to devise a plan to close the “digital divide” in Wilmington, Sheridan was chosen to serve as “e-champion” and chair the planning committee. He is a member of Mount Olive AME Church where he serves on the trustee board. Sheridan is married to his childhood friend and classmate Sandra. He was re-elected to a second term on city council in 2009 and elected mayor pro tem by the city council. He is currently serving his third term in office.