Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church will hold its annual Greek festival starting Friday, September 6th and running until Sunday, September 8th. The festival will take place over three days– on the grounds of Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, located at 701 Norwood Road in Silver Spring: Friday, 9/6: 4pm-9pm, Saturday, 9/7: 11am-9pm. Sunday, 9/8: 11am-7pm
In June 2023 we let you know that the owners of The Lube Center on Fields Rd. in Gaithersburg were looking to open a car wash in the space that was home to Ziki Japanese Steakhouse until 2020. A little over a year later, WLR Automotive Group has requested schematic development plan approval for an approximately 5,106 square-foot car wash facility.
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?”
Jayden Daniels was drafted #2 overall in this year’s NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. Expectations are high and after generally positive reviews during training camp and joint practices with the Jets, Daniels played well in his first official NFL preseason action on Saturday afternoon.
Berkadia announced that it has secured a $47.4 million loan for the financing of Modena Reserve at Kensington– a 135-unit, seniors housing community at 10540 Metropolitan Ave. in Kensington.
When I moved back to Northern Virginia after several years in New York, most of my old friends had moved away. I found myself rebuilding a social circle from scratch.
I had plenty of people I could connect with online, but that wasn’t translating into anyone to grab a beer with after work, play trivia with, or text when I wanted to get out of the house. Making new friends as an adult required far more deliberate effort than I remembered.
We ❤️ Teachers 5K celebrates educators through movement. On race day, runners and walkers across the country will participate in host city races, school celebrations, and virtual events — all in support of teachers and educator wellness. We'll be in beautiful Wheaton Regional Park, Join Us!
Walk it. Run it. Move for the teacher who moved you.
Rockville native Helen Maroulis, 32, became the first United States woman wrestler to qualify for three Olympics games . In 2016 she was the first U.S. woman to win a […]
The Montgomery County Police (MD) 4th District-Wheaton-Glenmont announced on Twitter/X on Friday that a suspect was picked on Friday for selling drugs in the 4100 block of Randolph Rd.
A new indoor playground, Recess, is now open at 12210 Plum Orchard Drive, Silver Spring (Calverton), MD. Recess Play Center, which is advertising am “all new 10,000+sq ft indoor playground with areas for babies, toddlers, and kids (0-12+).”
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a house fire at 18900 Blue Heron Ln., near Centerway Rd, in Gaithersburg on Thursday morning.
Shop Maryland Tax-Free week begins on Sunday, August 11, and runs through Saturday, August 17. Any clothing and shoes that cost $100 or less will be exempt from Maryland’s 6% sales tax this week. The first $40 of any backpack will also be exempt from the 6% sales tax.
The Maryland State Police is warning residents of a phone scam involving police impersonators.
Back in March 2023, we reported that Umi Hot Pot, Sushi & Seafood Buffet would be taking over the space that was recently home to Miller’s Ale House and previously home to Hooters and Shakey’s at 1471 Rockville Pike in Rockville. Umi has shared on social media that it will be opening today– Friday, August 9th.