The Office of Governor Wes Moore issued the following news release on Friday, June 28:
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The Germantown Flea Market returns Saturday, July 6, from 8am-1pm at the MARC rail commuter lot at the intersection of Germantown Rd. (Rt. 118) and Bowman Mill Drive. Additional details below courtesy of the Germantown Historical Society: (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?”
Below is a list of new restaurants, shops, events, and more coming soon to Rockville Town Square and the surrounding Rockville Town Center:
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Olney, MD Art Gallery and Studio to present a Pop-Culture themed group Art Exhibit and Artists’ Alley event.
Highly Animated is a 2-month long celebration of the vibrant world of fan art. From classic JRPG nostalgia, to the latest anime obsessions, to amazing original characters, this exhibition will highlight the passion, creativity and talent within fan communities.
Potomac native and Bullis alumna Masai Russell set an Olympic trials record and qualified for the Paris Olympics with a 12.25 in the 100m hurdles.
Today (Sunday, June 30th) is Dr. Monique Felder’s last day as interim Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Dr. Thomas Taylor officially begins as superintendent on Monday, July 1st. Dr. Felder sent the following message to the community:
On June 29, at approximately 4:43 pm, Takoma Park Police responded to the 900 block of Anne Street for the report of a residential burglary.
According to Takoma Park Police, “Between 9:10 am and 4:43 pm two unknown suspects broke into the victim’s residence by forcing open a rear basement door. Property was stolen. Home video surveillance captured the suspects:
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call regarding a lightning strike at a Damascus home on Peak View Ct. at approximately 11pm Saturday night.
Empress Coffee & Cocktails is now open at 325 Main Street in Gaithersburg. The new coffee shop has taken over the space that was most recently home to Brew House Kentlands, which closed after being open for a little over a year. The space was also the previous home of Clear Skies Meadery, which opened its new meadery at 15201 Display Ct in Rockville.
American Real Estate Partners (AREP) announced that it has secured a 13,853-square-footlease with Two Birds at its Inventa Towers property in the heart of Silver Spring.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for just about the entire area to the east of the Blue Ridge through 11 PM, including the entire DMV.