Update: All southbound lanes of I-270 just past Exit 11 (Quince Orchard Rd/MD 124) have reopened. A collision has blocked the three right lanes of southbound I-270 past Exit 11 […]
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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?”
In May, we reported that Dollar Tree had signed on to move in to the vacant space that was recently home to Privai Spa and previously home to Mynd Spa and Red Door Spa at 62 Market St in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. (more…)
The Washington Commanders have announced that they have released 2021 first round draft pick Jamin Davis.
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October 10 & 11, 2026
The MoCo Epic is a festival celebrating mountain biking, natural surface trails, and the community that makes this region a great place to ride! 2026 marks the 16th anniversary of the MoCo Epic.
As we head into the final stretch of the regular season, playoff seeding is on everyone’s mind. Teams are jostling for position, while some are fighting just to keep their postseason hopes alive. This week’s slate features critical matchups, high stakes, and a few potential blowouts. Let’s dive into the games.
Blair’s defense has been solid, but no team has found a way to slow down Bah and the Panthers’ rushing attack all season. Blair needs to not only play flawless defense but also find ways to move the ball against a tough Paint Branch defense. It’s a tall task, and while Blair has heart, the Panthers’ physicality and experience in big games should be too much.
A scratch-off loving grandfather from Prince George’s County is $100,000 richer after recentlty purchasing a winning lottery scratch-off ticket. Full story below courtesy MD Lottery: (more…)
Governor Wes Moore announced the launch of a modernized digital platform for managing Maryland’s capital grants, aiming to improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in the distribution of grant funds across the state.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is urging anyone with information regarding the death of a 37-year-old man that occurred on the 18500 block of Boysenberry Dr in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village to come forward. (more…)
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a multi-vehicle collision on Monday, October 22, at Spencerville Rd. and New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring, where one vehicle veered […]
The City of Gaithersburg announced on Monday morning that Congressman David Trone presented the City with $1,000,000 in federal funding for the Russell Avenue Multimodal and Streetscape Improvements project.