Montgomery County Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly robbed a woman in Silver Spring on February 5.
The Jolly Shows Carnival will be at Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda) from Friday, March 22 until Monday, April 1.
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?”
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The Maryland Office of the Attorney General released the following news release on Thursday, March 21:
On Thursday, Governor Wes Moore announced the members of the Maryland Council on Innovation and Impact. (more…)
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Olney, MD Art Gallery and Studio to present a Pop-Culture themed group Art Exhibit and Artists’ Alley event.
Highly Animated is a 2-month long celebration of the vibrant world of fan art. From classic JRPG nostalgia, to the latest anime obsessions, to amazing original characters, this exhibition will highlight the passion, creativity and talent within fan communities.
MCPS: Welcome to Spring Break – A Message from Interim Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Monique Felder
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Interim Superintendent Monique Felder, Ph.D. issued the following community message on Friday, March 22:
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Montgomery County Police have arrested a California man for allegedly stealing $789,000 in gold from an elderly Montgomery County woman. According to WUSA 9, one encounter between the suspect and victim occurred in a Walgreen’s parking lot, near the victim’s home at Leisure World.
Rachel Chavkin, a stage director perhaps best known for directing the musicals Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and Hadestown, was recently honored by having 48th St. in New York renamed Chavkin Way on March 20th. She is a 1998 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring.
Popular local sushi restaurant Kusshi Sushi, now with six locations across the DMV (three in Montgomery County), is offering 15% off for teachers and students during spring break starting Friday, March 22 and extending until Friday, March 29th at all of its restaurants.
MOD Pizza, a fast-casual pizza restaurant with over 500 locations nationwide, has closed its Kentlands location at 145 Commerce Square Place. The closure was confirmed by the Rockville location, where a representative told us that the store has already received some of the Kentlands location’s equipment.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) released the following community message on Thursday, March 21: (more…)