According to the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, “Montgomery County has activated a Hyperthermia Alert for extreme heat from 12 pm to 6 pm Sat, 8/3. Expect the heat index to be above 95º F. Stay hydrated. Take precautions to protect yourself & pets from heat-related illnesses.” (more…)
5:25pm Update: “LOCKDOWN LIFTED Public Safety continuing coordination with local police who have advised there is no longer a threat to the campus. The Rockville campus lockdown is now lifted. A heavy police presence will remain in the perimeter area of the campus, 355 and College parkway. Avoid the area.” (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?”
Wawa has announced its “Cheers to Classrooms” initiative that toasts teachers and school staff with free any size hot coffee and fountain beverage that will launch in the Mid-Atlantic operating area of PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC and Washington D.C. in September 2024.
On August 1, 2024, at approximately 7:17 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the 200 block of Elm Avenue after receiving a call of a gunshot victim being transported from […]
When I moved back to Northern Virginia after several years in New York, most of my old friends had moved away. I found myself rebuilding a social circle from scratch.
I had plenty of people I could connect with online, but that wasn’t translating into anyone to grab a beer with after work, play trivia with, or text when I wanted to get out of the house. Making new friends as an adult required far more deliberate effort than I remembered.
October 10 & 11, 2026
The MoCo Epic is a festival celebrating mountain biking, natural surface trails, and the community that makes this region a great place to ride! 2026 marks the 16th anniversary of the MoCo Epic.
The cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville have asked residents and businesses to conserve water under a regional drought watch issued earlier in the week by the Drought Coordination Committee of […]
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has arrested 56-year-old Jose Melvin Mendoza, the owner of Passion Bakery Café located in the 2200 block of Bel Pre Road, Silver Spring.
Montgomery County Police (MD) 4th District-Wheaton-Glenmont announced that four individuals were arrested on Thursday, August 1, after a police stop in Aspen Hill.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair returns on Friday, August 9th and will run through Saturday, August 17th. This will be the 75th annual fair and its fourth year back after having to cancel for the first time in its 70+ year history in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. (more…)
Last June we let you know that Quincy’s officially signed a lease to bring its new concept, Quincy’s Club House, to 245 Kentlands Blvd. The country club style restaurant, bar, and golf venue is taking over the location that was recently home to Not Your Average Joe’s. A $990,000 permit to begin alterations in the space was approved this past spring and now ownership tells us that they’re hoping for a September/October opening (Fall 2024).
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has announced the arrest of a 16-year-old boy following the pursuit of a stolen vehicle and attempting to steal a Montgomery County Police K9 cruiser. (more…)
Montgomery County will host an open house for individuals seeking County Government jobs on Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the lobby-level auditorium of the County Executive Office Building (101 Monroe St.) in Rockville. Attendees must be 18 or older. (more…)