“Savor Bethesda” Restaurant Week will return Thursday, February 20 – Sunday March 2, 2025. 2025 Participants as of February 8th can be seen below (updates can be found on the […]
Development plans for a 33-mile high-speed train line linking Baltimore and DC in 15 minutes (for just $33), projected to cost $20 billion, are still moving forward as essential environmental and engineering studies are ongoing, according to a BizJournals on statements made by Bill Scott, president of Northeast Maglev LLC.
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?”
A Damascus woman is $50,000 richer after purchasing a winning lottery scratch-off ticket from 7-Eleven in the Walnut Hill shopping center in Gaithersburg. Full story below courtesy MDLottery: (more…)
A Bethesda home has hit the market for $18.75 million, making it the third highest listing in Montgomery County (seventh highest in the state). The 26,000 SF house is located at 7209 Arrowood Rd. and comes with nine bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms on a 1.02 acre lot. This is the third highest priced listing behind the Potomac home previously owned by former Washington Commanders owners Dan and Tanya Snyder ($29.9 million), and a $23.5 million house on MacArthur Blvd in Bethesda.
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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.
Montgomery County government has announced that MCDOT is celebrating love in February by decorating Flash BRT buses and select stations with heart-themed designs and hosting a social media contest for riders to win $25 gift cards. (more…)
Montgomery County government has announced public hearings on March 11, 2025, for proposed amendments related to subdivision regulations, zoning changes, expedited approvals, and affordable housing tax policies, with opportunities for residents to provide testimony in person, remotely, or in writing. (more…)
Cold Stone Creamery reopens in the Olney Village Center on Saturday, February 8, and will offer free waffle cones to the first 100 customers starting at 11 a.m. (more…)
Montgomery County is under a Winter Weather Advisory from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, with snow, sleet, and freezing rain expected to create slippery road conditions and possible ice accumulations up to one-tenth of an inch. County officials urge residents to stay informed, report power outages, and track snow removal efforts through the MCDOT Snow Information Portal and Alert Montgomery
Montgomery County government has provided an update on bird flu, advising residents to stay informed about the ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which recently impacted a local backyard chicken flock, and to take necessary precautions when encountering sick or dead birds. Full news release below: (more…)
Maryland-National Capital Park Police (Montgomery County Division) announced that on January 23, 2025, they responded to a crash on Beach Drive and Cedar Lane, where the driver was found in possession of a large quantity of suspected crack cocaine and charged with DUI, possession of CDS, and intent to distribute. (more…)
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a vehicle fire at Odend Hal Avenue and Royal Bonnet Circle in Gaithersburg on Friday afternoon. (more…)