Four MCPS students have been named Carson Scholars, earning $1,000 college scholarships. Carson Scholars are students in grades 4-11 who excel academically and donate their time and talents to others.
According to the Maryland Lottery, a winning Powerball ticket worth $100,000 was purchased for the Wednesday, March 20 drawing at the 7-Eleven located at 19235 Watkins Mill Road in Montgomery […]
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?”
Coming soon signage is up for Peter Chang Restaurant at 637 N Frederick Ave in Gaithersburg. The restaurant is taking over the space previously occupied by Ichiban Restaurant. (more…)
On Tuesday, Governor Wes Moore today announced that Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport set a new annual record for international passenger traffic in 2023 with 1,365,847 international passengers, a 2.58% increase than its previous record for that was set in 2018. (more…)
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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.
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A total of 152 MCPS educators and counselors achieved National Board Certification in December 2023. Another 73 successfully maintained their certifications (full list linked below).
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According to a listing by retail property management company JLL, Taco De Birria is coming to 14 Bureau Dr in the Diamond Square shopping center in Gaithersburg.
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Update: The home has been donated to the American Cancer Society
A little more than a month since the one year anniversary of Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder putting his 30,000 SF home at 11900 River Rd. is Potomac up for sale– the house was pulled from the market and donated to the American Cancer Society. The home was initially listed at $49 million, which would have been a DMV record if it sold for the asking price. In August 2023, the home listing showed that the asking price dropped by 28.8% and is currently at $34.9 million.