The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will offer adult bike and e-scooter classes in November, including Learn to Ride and Basic Skills sessions, with online registration now open, and a free walk-up e-scooter class on October 27.
Last week, we reported that the Maryland Lottery was seeking the winner of a Cash4Life ticket purchased at an Olney 7-Eleven, which entitled the player to $1,000 a week for life or a $1 million lump sum. We now know an Olney grandmother has claimed the prize and took the cash option.
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?”
Vilma C. Najera, principal at Watkins Mill High School since the 2023-2024 school year, has been named the Hispanic Educator of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County (HCCMC). She was honored at the Hispanic Leadership Awards Gala on Friday, October 11th.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is investigating a fatal collision involving a motorcycle that occurred on Saturday night in Rockville.
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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.
Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released this week’s Fall Foliage Report for the state.
8:54 Update by MCPD: “This collision is being investigated as a fatality. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene. Roads are closed north and southbound Rockville Pike at Tuckerman Lane. Please seek an alternate route.”
Buc-ee’s broke ground on its upcoming location in Rockingham County, VA back on Tuesday, January 30. The store will be located at the exit 240 interchange along Interstate 81 (located near Harrisonburg, VA)- over 125 miles and about two hours from most parts of Montgomery County and is now aiming for a July 4th opening, according to a recent report by WHSV3.
This past summer we let you know that Smoothie King signed on to open a new location at 20630 Seneca Meadows Parkway at the Shops at Seneca Meadows development (where Wegmans is located) in Germantown. A permit valued at $200,000 has been now issued for construction to begin on the interior.
LionRock Cafe, a Hong Kong style cafe located at 13 Dawson Ave. in Rockville, announced via social media that it will be closing its doors soon (as soon as the restaurant runs out of food and drink).
Nick Sevilla, a veteran middle school math teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown, who grew up in Montgomery County and attended local schools including North Chevy Chase, Barnsley, Westland, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase, has successfully combined his love for teaching with his passion for gaming. With nine years of experience in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), he embraced new opportunities to engage his students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Montgomery County Council will hold committee meetings on Monday, October 7. Full agenda below courtesy Montgomery County: