The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) responded to a dog attack on Heather Hill Road in Bethesda on Wednesday, December 18, where two dogs attacked and killed a victim dog, injured two women intervening, and one attacking dog was shot by officers after charging at them.
Located safe and unharmed.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Sophia Baldwin, a missing 14-year-old.
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?”
Poke Bros opened its first Maryland location last November in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood at 107 Market St W. After a little more than a year, the restaurant has closed permanently.
Michelle Meyer, the dedicated art teacher who has been at Pine Crest Elementary School in Silver Spring for 26 years, has once again collaborated with the talented team of specialists at the school to create a stunning hallway display that captures the spirit of winter. This year, the focus has been on the South Pole and Antarctica, fostering a festive and inclusive atmosphere for students and staff alike (photos below).
We’ve Got the Ticket to Every Sunday Showdown! 🏈🔥
Catch every live out-of-market Sunday game with NFL Sunday Ticket this football season at Lucky Strike Rockville!
Music. Art. Food. Community. The Takoma Park Folk Festival brings it all together for one free, unforgettable day. Discover six stages of live music from around the world, shop an acclaimed juried craft show, enjoy international cuisine, connect with local community organizations, and let the kids explore crafts and activities in the Children's Nook. It's one of the region's most beloved traditions, and a celebration of the creativity, diversity, and welcoming spirit that has long defined Takoma Park.
New this year! Jam at the Crossroads is a place for musicians of all levels to come together and be part of the music.
Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released its “2024 Year in Review” video, showcasing progress in renewable energy, waste reduction, and watershed protection as part of the County’s Climate Action Plan. Highlights include launching renewable energy grants, expanding food scraps recycling, planting over 4,000 trees, and engaging thousands of residents through educational events. (more…)
New Balance is set to open a new store on Arlington Rd in Bethesda (Bethesda Row), according to a report by Robert Dyer, which was confirmed by the Federal Realty website. The store will be located on Arlington Rd. next to Uncle Julio’s.
On Tuesday, plainclothes officers in Downtown Silver Spring disrupted an attempted robbery spree, apprehending a suspect with the help K9 units and a drone after three unsuccessful robbery attempts. (more…)
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has released the 2024 Accessible Design Guide to improve accessibility in public spaces, incorporating best practices and community feedback to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. (more…)
On Tuesday, Governor Wes Moore announced the appointments of Jill P. Carter to the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals, Alverne Chesterfield to the Maryland State Board of Education, and Lafe Solomon as chair of the Public Employee Relations Board. (more…)
Last week we reported that Crisfield Seafood will be closing after nearly 80 years at 8012 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring The restaurant has been operating in Silver Spring since 1945 and will close permanently on Sunday, December 22nd. A visit today, as well as several reader reports, showed lines out the door and down the block for the restaurant. “It has been this way for the last five days or so” a customer told us after deciding he would wait today to get his final fix.
UPDATE: Mehran Shahriyari has been located safe and unharmed.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Mehran Shahriyari, a missing 66-year-old. (more…)