First impressions can tell you a lot about a person. Sometime they even make for good openings to a newspaper story.
For example, one’s first impression upon entering the Maroon PR offices is an unexpected one to say the least. The door opens and you’re greeted by a sleek, black greyhound named Jack. A fine animal that never jumps or barks but gently nudges you down the hallway as if to say, “Make yourself at home while I introduce you to the big, friendly guy who humanely rescued me from a nondescript greyhound racetrack in Ireland, John Maroon.”
For the record, this is Maroon’s third greyhound rescue, a fact revealed in a conversation not with him, but with one of his longtime employees. This bit of info provided a slight but telling glimpse into his psyche and why since 2006, Maroon PR has redefined what it means to be a strategic public relations and communications partner in the world of sports and sports tourism and more recently in such diverse genres as hospitality, healthcare, gaming, festivals and nonprofits.
And while that sounds like verbiage off of a website, which it is, Maroon attributes his agency’s success to building and nurturing great relationships with clients, the media and the people who work in his office.
The Proof Is In The Work
Maroon PR is currently working alongside Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore to create, promote and market Maryland’s first-ever Preakness Festival.
“We look to expand the excitement of a one-day event into a week-long celebration of food, entertainment and horse-racing, Maryland style, that has a positive impact on the community,” Maroon said.
Maroon PR has shown its mettle in this area having played an integral PR and communications role in the growth of the world-class, Maryland 5 Star equestrian competition held for the fourth year at Fair Hill in Cecil County this past October. The event drew close to 35,000 people and had an economic impact on the state of more than $12 million.
At the same time, Maroon PR is playing a pivotal role in bringing back the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship hosted at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills. Last played at the same venue in 2021, this year’s event in August looks to generate an economic impact of $35 million to $45 million.
Maroon Journey Begins With Sports
Maroon was a sports management major at St. John’s University and in his senior year was awarded an internship with Major League Baseball.
In 1987, Maroon parlayed that internship into a full-time job with the American League Office thanks to his mentor and first boss Phyllis Merhige. And in 1990, he started a four-year stint with the Cleveland Indians organization in the media relations department.
Still under the age of 30, Maroon moved on from Cleveland in 1995 to become director of public relations for the Baltimore Orioles.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time. That was the year Oriole legend Cal Ripken Jr. was set to break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak and the whole baseball world wanted to know all about it. Suddenly, Maroon was more than just another media relations guy. He was the guy between Ripken and the world. And everyone wanted access.
“All through the ‘95 season leading up to that Sept. 6 night, there was crush of attention to the streak,” Maroon said. “The demand for interviews, autographs, photo-ops, you name it, was coming in daily from local, national and international media. The whole world was interested in Cal’s streak and the media demand was enormous.”
That historic experience resulted in a lasting bond of respect and trust between Maroon and Ripken. So it was no surprise that Ripken asked Maroon to join what was then called The Tufton Group to help him through the final season of his playing career and launch a foundation in his father’s name in 2001.
In 2006, with the encouragement of his brother Mike, Maroon and his wife Carolyn decided it was time to move on and open Maroon PR. Their first clients were Ripken and the Babe Ruth Museum. The initial thought was that Maroon PR would be solely a sports agency, but that changed and evolved quickly.
Building A Team Of MVPs
Jen Renehan first met Maroon as an intern at Ripken Baseball in the early 2000s. Today she is his chief operating officer and in Maroon’s words, “deserves a lot of credit” for the agency’s success.
“John’s been a great mentor. He believed in me and has helped me grow as a person and a professional,” Renehan said.
Amanda Sarver, Maroon’s vice president in charge of social strategies and content, points to the agency’s emphasis on collaboration and relationships.
“John brings together people with different skill sets and empowers them to do great work,” Sarver said. “It’s the Maroon Way.”
Maroon’s website proclaims that Maroon PR is the “agency you want to have a beer with.” And if that’s the case, then the heartiest of toasts would surely come from Maryland Sports Commission executive director Terry Hasseltine. Maryland Sports brings big-time, revenue-producing sports and events to the state like English Premier League soccer, the Maryland 5 Star and the BMW Championship.
“John Maroon is an absolute legend in the world of public relations and marketing,” Hasseltine said. “… His team is made up both of seasoned veterans and the next generation of talented young professionals. More importantly, they follow John and Carolyn’s lead when it comes to building meaningful relationships. I truly treasure our standing get-togethers every couple of weeks where we unwind, talk about work, life and of course, sports.”
Even Jack couldn’t have said it better.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maroon PR
Originally published April 16, 2025