Page 79 - Free State Spring 2023_WEB

maintenance firm in Baltimore County, MD. In the past clients and front-line workers. Hopefully, my efforts during
few years: I have worked as an independent landscape the past 20+ years have helped support this mission.
contractor and consultant, arborist, and horticulturist for What piece of advice do you think would be helpful
JHU on the Homewood and Applied Physics Laboratory for others following in your footsteps?
campuses. I also am a contributing editor and Subject
Matter Expert for a few publications, including, most I never thought I would graduate college (let alone
notably, www.trees.com and Elle Decor Magazine. earn a few degrees subsidized mostly by scholarships).
Working in the field in a variety of low-paying labor roles
What would you like MNLGA members to know about and slowly/intentionally developing skills that aligned
their investment in you?
with who I wanted to be in the industry allowed me to
Honestly, I want more talented people to take work chart and navigate an upwardly mobile path. I still do
in this field more seriously and to attract new and not know exactly what I want to do when I grow up… but
more diverse folks into the green industry. From nursery, I am confident that whatever it is I will be at risk of being
landscape, and greenhouse points of entry… we need to awesome and overqualified. I welcome anyone interested
attract and retain talent to build tenured rewarding, and in exploring or stoking their passion for natural and built
successful careers. We all should participate in marketing environments to reach out. Mentorship has been priceless
products and services of exceptional quality - that honor for me, and I try to pay it forward.
(continued on next page)

A collage of projects Steve Blaes has designed and built. Credit: Steve Blaes

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2023 79