Former Orioles Groundskeeper Navigates a New Role With Agriculture Department

By Christine Condon

As Nicole Sherry puts it, she had reached the “grass ceiling.”

She was one of 30 head groundskeepers at a Major League Baseball stadium. She had achieved the dream she’d nurtured since her college days studying agriculture. Her domain was the sprawling expanse of Kentucky bluegrass of Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles.

And so, after more than 20 years on the job, she left it behind for a new challenge: an assistant secretary post in the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Maybe to some people, it’s not a natural fit — moving from the fast-paced world of professional sports to the infamously slow-moving gears of bureaucracy. But to Sherry, it makes perfect sense.

“I wanted more challenges. I wanted more exposure to the great people that we work with now,” said Sherry, 48, who started in her new role last month. “I was happy, but also I looked at my next 30 years, and what did that look like? I probably wouldn’t have done much more than continued on the same path with the Orioles.”

Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks, who was appointed to his post nearly four years ago by Gov. Wes Moore (D), admits there was some recruitment involved.

“We’re very interested in hiring to get rock stars,” Atticks said. “We’re bringing in really, really interesting people that have competencies, but are really good people — like, good to work for.”