John Maroon’s career in professional sports spans more than two decades. Over that time, he has provided media relations assistance at 10 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Games; nearly a dozen MLB Postseasons; the National Football League (NFL) playoffs and Super Bowl in 2000; and other significant sports related events.

After graduating from St. John’s University in Queens, New York with a degree in Sports Management, John began his career with the MLB office, serving as a Public Relations Assistant with the American League from 1987-1989.

In 1990, John moved to Cleveland to become the Director of Media Relations for the Cleveland Indians. Over the course of his five-year tenure with the Indians, the franchise encountered a devastating tragedy in March 1993 as Indians’ pitchers Tim Crews and Steve Olin were killed in a boating accident that nearly claimed the life of pitcher Bob Ojeda as well. In response to the attention the incident attracted from the national media, John developed and implemented a strategy to balance the media’s requests with the privacy and compassion needs of the players and the families involved. Serving as a conduit between the players and media, he was able to execute a plan that addressed both the sensitive nature of the situation and the media’s need for information. In his final season with the Indians in 1994, John was involved in the opening of the franchise’s new state-of-the-art ballpark created solely for baseball, Jacobs Field, and coordinated all media surrounding the new facility.

In 1995, John moved to Baltimore to take the position of Public Relations Director for the Orioles, a post he held for five seasons. In his inaugural year in Baltimore, he worked closely with Cal Ripken, Jr. during his celebrated march towards the consecutive games played record that culminated on September 6, 1995. In addition to working on key undertakings like Ripken’s record-breaking streak, John was also involved with the Orioles’ historic visit to Cuba in March 1999 when the team played an exhibition game against the Cuban National Team in Havana. In addition, John was the head of PR for the Orioles during their trips to the post-season in 1996 and 1997.

In 1999, John left the Orioles to accept the job of Vice-President of Communications with the Washington Redskins. During his brief one-year tenure with the Redskins, he oversaw media relations, community relations and publications. That season the Redskins captured the NFC East crown and advanced to the NFL playoffs.

In August of 2000, John reunited with Ripken when he joined The Tufton Group, which later became Ripken Baseball. An integral member of the team at Ripken Baseball, John oversaw all communications and brand building for Ripken Baseball and its subsidiaries. He also served as the spokesperson for Ripken Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr., while booking and directing all of Cal Ripken’s speaking engagements and public appearances.

Since launching Maroon PR in April 2006, John’s expertise in sports communications and branding has benefitted a number of organizations and he still serves as the publicist for Cal Ripken, Jr., as well as Ripken Baseball. From the announcement of Ripken’s selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2007 to his formal induction into Cooperstown in July 2007, John managed all media relations efforts surrounding Cal’s Hall of Fame experience. In addition, he handled media relations for Ripken when the Hall of Famer was chosen in August 2007 by the U.S. State Department as only the second special Sports Envoy in U.S. history. As part of his responsibilities, John accompanied Ripken on his 10-day trip to China in which Cal taught the game of baseball to youth throughout the nation.

On top of his roles as Owner and President of Maroon PR, John is very active in the local community. While he has served on the board of directors for a number of Baltimore-based organizations, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Maryland, The Alzheimer’s Association of Maryland and the Greyhound Pets of America are among the current charitable efforts he actively supports.

John resides in Ellicott City, Maryland with his wife, Carolyn.