The Montgomery County Department of Police – 5th District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Dwight Anthony Clark, a missing 40-year-old. (more…)
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?”
The Montgomery County Police Department’s (MCPD) 3rd District Commander Jason Cokinos shared on Twitter/X that two suspects that had allegedly stolen merchandise from a CVS on Georgia Ave were caught by officers with assistance from MCPD’s Raven 1 drone.
MCPS recently shared that graduates donned red, black, green, and blue gowns as they celebrated the conclusion of their high school journey. Over 100 MCPS students gathered on Tuesday at Wheaton High School for the summer school graduation ceremony.
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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.
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Update: Ava Smith has been 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 Ava Smith, a missing 16-year-old from Gaithersburg. (more…)
An 20-year-old Elkridge, MD man has been indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on charges related to a 2023 fatal collision on Montrose Rd. and Hitching Post Ln in Rockville.
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Yelp, a popular crowd-sourced review website, has put together its “Top 100 Sushi Spots 2024” list. Included at #57 on the list is MoCo’s very own 168 Asian Burrito, which is located at 18000 Georgia Avenue within the Exxon convenience store in Olney.
Eric Turner, 32, of Gaithersburg was sentenced to six years in prison for the death of 20-year-old Shanon Cole, who overdosed in July of 2023 after ingesting a pill he received from Turner. (more…)
Baked Potato House, which featured “delicious stuffed potatoes”, has closed its location in the Clarksburg Premium Outlets after one year in business.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the 10400blk of Ridge Landing Pl in Damascus for a report of a garage fire at approximately 8:59pm on Tuesday night. (more…)