Montgomery County officials joined Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP) for the grand opening of The Chimes, a new 163-unit affordable apartment community near the North Bethesda Metro station.
The future of a longstanding Montgomery County Public Schools program that has students construct and sell a home remains undetermined for the 2026-2027 school year, according to MCPS, following a report by MyMCMedia that the Construction Trades Foundation program at Thomas Edison High School of Technology appeared to have ended after budget cuts.
Talent is one of the most important factors influencing where companies choose to invest, expand, and grow. As competition for skilled workers intensifies, employers are embracing a broader talent strategy: one that leverages partnerships. Last week, almost 120 business leaders, elected officials, and members of Montgomery County’s business community attended the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) panel, “The Talent Advantage: A Growth Strategy for Companies in Montgomery County, Maryland,” to hear how local businesses are capitalizing on the County’s world-class academic institutions, innovation ecosystem, quality of life, and economic development resources to attract and retain top talent.
Moderated by Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the panel included executives from businesses and institutions across industries, including Lockheed Martin, TrilliumBIO, Thales Defense & Security, Johns Hopkins, Montgomery College, and AstraZeneca, who discussed their companies’ strategies for developing their workforce.
Talent as a Business Strategy
For companies competing in highly specialized industries like the defense industry, access to talent directly influences where they choose to locate and grow. For Lockheed Martin, which employs nearly 1,000 people in Montgomery County, talent is one of the primary reasons the company chose to be headquartered here.
“Talent is in the top one or two reasons why we are in the County,” said Todd Cohen, Senior Lead of Strategic Workforce Development, Lockheed Martin.
According to Cohen, Lockheed Martin begins working with partners to develop their talent pipeline well before students enter the workforce, including partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) on programs such as coding challenges. Lockheed Martin also maintains close relationships with local higher education institutions, including the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).
That local talent pipeline is also an important factor for AstraZeneca, which employs more than 5,000 employees and contractors in Montgomery County. According to Tiffany Lukis, Director of STEM and Community Engagement at AstraZeneca, the company often taps into its alumni base from Montgomery College (ranked #26 nationally among community colleges) and USG (which offers nine different public universities onto one campus), and other local institutions to fill highly technical roles.
Local Companies Are Developing Talent and Not Just Finding It
According to the panelists, investing in existing employees is just as important as recruiting new ones.
At Suburban Hospital, workforce development is closely tied to talent retention. The hospital partners with local educational institutions to provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and advance their careers. Programs include a Certified Nursing Assistant program through Montgomery College and English as a Second Language classes.
“A huge part of our talent strategy is to prioritize holding on to our top tier talent,” said Corey Lewson, MSW, Program Manager, Workforce Development, John Hopkins Medicine.
For smaller companies, developing talent internally can be especially valuable. Lane Edwards, Vice President of Operations, TrilliumBIO, a biomarker discovery company with fewer than 20 employees based in Rockville, described the challenge of balancing the need for highly specialized expertise with the realities of building a team at an early-stage company.
“When it comes to hiring, we have to be very strategic,” Lane said. “Do we have someone who has the expertise or someone that we can build on?”
The Montgomery County Council will hold public hearings at 1:30 p.m. on September 29, October 6 and October 13 on a range of proposed legislation and other County matters. The September 29 hearings will cover FY28 WSSC Water spending control limits, proposed changes to the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings fee schedule and the 2026-2035 Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan. (more…)
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5:33pm Update: All lanes of southbound MD-182 (Layhill Rd) at Bel Pre Rd have reopened. Expect residual delays.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews are on the scene of a two-vehicle collision involving multiple patients near Layhill Road and Bel Pre Road.
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Bring your family and friends to our free , all-day outdoor Oktoberfest celebration. These will be an outdoor craft fair featuring local artisans and professional woodworkers, a chainsaw carving, woodworking and tool demonstrations by Festool, Montgomery Wood Turners and Carvers. There will also be lots of delicious food provided by El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster's Ice cream and seasonal craft brews from Saints Row Brwsing Company.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said Friday that he requested the resignation of Police Chief Marc Yamada following the release of an Office of the Inspector General investigation that substantiated misconduct allegations involving leave, attendance and statements made during the investigation. (more…)
Montgomery County Police are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 13-year-old girl who was last seen Thursday, September 17, in Rockville. (more…)
The Hive Soda Bar will open Monday, September 28 at 19900 Fisher Ave. in Poolesville, bringing dirty sodas and other beverages to the area.
Montgomery College is celebrating its 80th anniversary, marking eight decades since the school was founded as Montgomery Junior College on September 16, 1946. (more…)
Toys“R”Us has announced a major U.S. expansion that will bring 120 new standalone stores across the country during the 2026 holiday season. (more…)
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded around noon Friday to the 7400 block of Birch Avenue in Takoma Park after a large tree fell onto two houses. (more…)
Prince George’s County Police have charged a 61-year-old man with the 1993 murder of 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr., known as “Junior,” more than 33 years after the child disappeared from his Brentwood neighborhood. (more…)