The Montgomery County Department of Police has launched a new application portal for the Late-Night Business Safety Plan. This initiative aims to create a consistent and secure process for businesses operating in areas with higher-than-average call volumes during late-night hours.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and Maryland State Police responded to a crash on the inner loop of the between Colesville Rd. and University Blvd. early Friday morning when a passing driver crashed into several emergency vehicles.
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?”
UPDATE: MCPD found no active threats at Wheaton and Edison High schools. Lockdowns have been lifted at both schools.
Wheaton High School and Thomas Edison High School are both on lockdown Friday morning due to the report of an individual outside of the school campuses with a handgun.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD has shared that 5th District officers are investigating a shooting in the 19900 block of Crystal Rock Dr. in Germantown.
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The Triumph Trek at the Rio is the ultimate celebration of strength, recovery and hope — and everyone is invited.
On Sunday, September 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation and Adventist HealthCare Home Care Services will gather at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg for an untimed walk-or-wheel around the accessible lakeside path. This is not a race. Scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, strollers and every pace are welcome, and no one finishes last.
The DMV’s first Torchy’s Tacos is set to host its soft opening on September 29th and 30th, from 10am-8pm. A QR code currently displayed at the restaurant’s entrance allows guests to reserve their spot for the soft opening by directing them to an online registration page.
Below you’ll see the most recent updates or final scores of the 2024 week 2 MCPS football games. The scores will be updated as we receive them. If a score isn’t listed, it’s because we haven’t yet received a report from the game that we can confirm. An ‘F’ signifies the score is confirmed as being final:
Back in 2021, Bowlero Corp (“Bowlero”) announced that it completed its acquisition of Bowl America and its 17 bowling centers in Florida, Virginia and Maryland for approximately $44 million. A little less than three years later, the Gaithersburg location has officially made the change to the Bowlero brand (photos below).
Flavio Cesar Lanuza, the suspect who allegedly stole an MDOTSHA tow truck and led police on a chase through Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, pleaded guilty to multiple charges on Thursday. (more…)
Montgomery County has launched its 2024 online community survey to gather resident feedback on government services and quality of life. The survey will be open to all residents 18 and over until Monday, September 30. (more…)
The Forest Estates Farmers Market at Getty Park in Silver Spring will relaunch for its 14th year on Sunday, September 15, with a bi-weekly schedule through November. Vendors include Common Root Farm, Bump ‘n Grind, The Mixing Bowl Bakery, Pizzeria CoCo, and Benchmark Sharpening. as well as a special appearance by Bike Werks for bike repairs on opening day.
This weekend, the Red Line will operate in two segments as crews work on tracks between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Medical Center.