Montgomery Parks will temporarily close Wheaton Ice Arena from mid-April to early October 2025 for a refrigeration system upgrade, with Cabin John Ice Rink adding sessions and programs to accommodate patrons during the closure. (more…)
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Crews are preparing to install five lines of massive steel girders extending 295-feet in length across northbound I-495 (Capital Beltway) for a new express lanes ramp that will connect the Dulles Toll Road to northbound I-495. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) states, “Motorists are urged to stay away from northbound I-495 in Virginia the entire weekend of January 24-27 and should choose alternate routes.”
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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An adult male was fatally shot in the 3900 block of Franklin Street in Kensington on January 13, 2025, with another adult male taken into custody.
On Sunday night, the Washington Commanders have won their first playoff game since 2005– beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 with a last second field goal that bounced in off the right upright. Tampa International Airport shared their feelings Monday morning and Dulles Airport replied, in a fun back-and-forth exchange on social media.
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Come enjoy the day at our annual Washington Grove Arts and Craft Festival in a beautiful outdoor setting. This festival highlights local artisans including wood creations, pottery, visual art, household products and so much more. We also have food trucks from El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster’s Ice Cream and beverages from Saints Row Brewery. Bring the whole family because we have a kids activity area too. Pets on a leash are welcome too!
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Maryland’s Handgun Qualification Licensing law, upheld by the Fourth Circuit, which requires residents to obtain a license with training, fingerprints, and a background check before purchasing a handgun. (more…)
Due in part to the public’s water-conservation efforts, WSSC Water has lifted the essential-water-use-only request as of 6:30 p.m. today for all 1.9 million customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.
The water distribution system demand and pressure have stabilized, and water storage levels have returned to normal. The Potomac and Patuxent Water Filtration Plants continue to produce water, meeting customer demand.
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Update: MCPD is investigating this as a fatal shooting.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) responded to a shooting in the 3900blk of Franklin St in Kensington on Monday, January 13. (more…)
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued the following statement on the death of Master Firefighter Christopher Higgins: (more…)
Permanent signage is now installed for Silver and Sons BBQ at 5362 Westbard Ave in Bethesda. Chef Jarrad Silver, who launched the Silver and Sons BBQ food truck in 2022 […]
Metro is prepared to move customers for Inauguration Day with additional train service and earlier hours. Per the request of the United States Secret Service and the United States Capitol Police, Metrorail will open at 4 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 to accommodate the crowds.
Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman is encouraging Marylanders to check their eligibility for the IRS Direct File program, a free tax filing tool launching January 27, and has announced a series of webinars to highlight tax resources and credits for the 2025 filing season. (more…)