Montgomery Parks’ Jennifer Scully, Regional Operations Manager and waterfowl aficionado has put her stamp of approval on the winner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2024 Federal Duck Art Stamp Contest. Scully served as a judge for the prestigious national art contest, and with a panel of four peers selected this year’s winner, Adam Grimm of Wallace, South Dakota for his acrylic painting of a pair of spectacled eiders.
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?”
Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) received the “Best Enforcement Program” award for the second year in a row from StateWays magazine for its loss prevention program, which reduces theft, fraud, and operational errors (more…)
At The Head Spa by Bare, we believe that true beauty begins with a healthy scalp, its your unique wellness experience for the mind and body. Relax with aromatherapy and gentle massages while healing your scalp.
Head Spa Facial rituals are a unique and luxurious experience that focuses on relaxing and revitalizing the scalp and hair. These rituals combine traditional Japanese techniques with modern spa treatments to provide a holistic approach to wellness.
Bring your family and friends to our free , all-day outdoor Oktoberfest celebration. These will be an outdoor craft fair featuring local artisans and professional woodworkers, a chainsaw carving, woodworking and tool demonstrations by Festool, Montgomery Wood Turners and Carvers. There will also be lots of delicious food provided by El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster's Ice cream and seasonal craft brews from Saints Row Brwsing Company.
The season is heating up as several teams have established their dominance, while others are licking their wounds after tough losses. Here’s this week’s MCPS top 10 as we head into a pivotal stretch.
On October 2, 2024, at approximately 6:03 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the 400 block of Ethan Allen Avenue following a report of an armed robbery that had occurred earlier.
The Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal pedestrian collision that occurred on September 30, 2024, where a 53-year-old man was struck and killed in Germantown. (more…)
“The Floor,” hosted by Rob Lowe, was Fox’s top game show of the 2023 season, creating viral moments and even earning a parody on Saturday Night Live. Now, the game show is back for Season 2, and one of its contestants hails from Montgomery County, MD. (more…)
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando is hosting the ninth annual “Councilmember for a Day” challenge for middle and high school students, inviting them to submit video essays on public policy issues, with the winner earning the opportunity to serve as an honorary councilmember for a day. (more…)
Montgomery County has received $520,000 in federal funding to enhance intersection safety through the Safe Turns Demonstration Project and update the Vision Zero 2030 Action Plan with community input, aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries. (more…)