Cortland Standard .net

Meet the Newsroom


Taney Beaumont Sports Writer 607-756-5665, ext. 126 sports@cortlandstandard.net Beat: Taney covers Cortland High and Central Counties League teams. Education: AAS in Liberal Arts from Morrisville State, 1975; BA in communications (broadcasting & journalism) from University of Tennessee, 1977. About: Taney grew up in Morrisville and started his professional career in broadcasting as the news director/sports color commentator at WSCP in Sandy Creek/Pulaski and WATN in Watertown, and the north country reporter for WSYR in Syracuse. He moved to the newspaper business in 1980 as a sportswriter with the Hornell Evening Tribune and joined the Auburn Citizen's sports department in 1983. He was a stringer for the Syracuse Post Standard & Herald-Journal, the Utica Observer-Dispatch and Blue Lines Hockey Newsletter from 1993 to 1998, when he joined the Cortland Standard. Married and the father of one daughter, he enjoys reading, listening to music and sports in his spare time.	Catherine Wilde Local Editor 607-756-5665 ext. 131 cwilde@cortlandstandard.net Job duties: Catherine helps coordinate and edit local news coverage. Education: BA in English and communications from Muhlenberg College, 2002. About: Catherine, former county government reporter for the Cortland Standard, grew up in Pearl River, Rockland County, a suburb of New York City. She worked at newspapers in Rockland County and Bergen County, N.J., prior to coming to the paper. In her spare time Catherine enjoys reading, baking, watching movies, swimming, biking and competing in the occasional triathlon.	Alan Butler Sports Editor 607-756-5665, ext. 124 sports@cortlandstandard.net Job duties: Al oversees the newspaper’s sports coverage and covers the SUNY Cortland athletic scene. Education: BA in journalism from the University of Bridgeport (Conn.), 1977. About: Alan grew up in Homer, where he graduated in 1973 from Homer High School. He worked as the assistant sports editor at the Auburn Citizen from 1977-1980 and then joined the staff of the Cortland Standard, where he covered high school sports for 19 years before taking over the sports editor post. Married and the father of two grown sons, music and sports help fill up idle times.

Kevin Conlon

Managing Editor
607-756-5665, ext. 129
kconlon@cortlandstandard.net

Job duties: Kevin oversees the newspaper's news coverage.
Education: BA in mass communication from St. Bonaventure University, 1985.
About: Kevin took his first job out of college as a reporter at the Cortland Standard. After four years, he left to work for a year as a reporter and bureau chief at The Record in Troy, then eight years as a reporter at the Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He returned to the Cortland Standard as city editor in 1998 and was promoted to managing editor in 2000. Kevin and his wife, MaryBeth, are the parents of seven children.

Katie Keyser

Living and Leisure Editor
607-756-5665, ext. 128
living@cortlandstandard.net

Job duties: Katie writes community interest stories, focusing on non-profits, social clubs, seniors and children, literature and the arts.
Education: She has a master’s degree in education from SUNY Cortland and a bachelor’s in English from SUNY Oswego.
About: Katie has worked for the Cortland Standard for 19 years, starting as a typist in the composing room, and then covering the town of Homer, city and county government as a reporter, before assuming her current post around 2000. Before this, she was a self-employed day care provider, staying home with her two children, Kim and Mike, for five years. She loves biking, walking her two dogs, Sammy and Stub, cooking soup and reading a good novel. She grew up on Long Island.

Tyrone Heppard

Staff Reporter
607-756-5665, ext. 134
theppard@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Tyrone covers the city of Cortland, the villages of Homer and McGraw, and the towns of Cortlandville, Freetown, Homer, Solon and Taylor.
Education: Tyrone earned his associate degree in communications from Broome Community College in 2010 and graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2012, where he studied journalism and political science.
About: Tyrone started working at the Cortland Standard in May 2013. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, blogging, listening to music and watching the New York Mets.

Tom Vartanian

Sports Writer
607-756-5665, ext. 125
sports@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Tom covers Homer Central and Interscholastic Athletic Conference teams.
Education: A.A.S. Degree from Herkimer County Community College, 1977.
About: Tom grew up in Afton and began writing for the Finger Lakes Community Newspapers covering IAC sports in 1985. He went to work as sports editor for the Tri-Town News in the fall of 1990, returning to his hometown area. He returned to the Finger Lakes Community Papers in 1993 as sports editor. Tom moved into radio as the sports director and play-by-play man for high school sports at WPIE Radio in Trumansburg from 1994-1998. He joined the Cortland Standard staff in the fall of 1999. Tom is married with two daughters and enjoys sports, music and family time.

Colleen Siuzdak

Staff Reporter
607-756-5665, ext. 136
csiuzdak@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Colleen covers Cortland County government, economic development and the towns of Cuyler, Scott, Preble and Truxton.
Education: BA in media studies, with a concentration in journalism, from Hunter College
About: Colleen joined the Cortland Standard in September 2014. She previously worked at The Legislative Gazette as an intern, which sparked her political interests. She grew up in Staten Island and enjoys singing, reading John Grisham novels, learning new recipes and spending time with her family.

Amy Gernon

Staff Reporter
607-756-5665, ext. 133
agernon@cortlandstandard.net

Beat: Amy covers public safety, as well as the towns of Cincinnatus, Harford, Lapeer, Marathon, Virgil and Willet, and the village of Marthon.
Education: She received a bachelor's degree in journalism and her master's degree in history with a concentration in media, both from SUNY Albany.
About: Amy joined the Cortland Standard in 2015. She previously lived in the Utica area, where she taught history and writing classes. She is originally from Long Island. In her free time she enjoys hiking, gardening, baking cookies and engaging in historical debates.