Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and 15 other state attorneys general issued a statement opposing a recent Trump administration Executive Order, reaffirming their commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care and vowing to challenge any federal actions that seek to restrict it. (more…)
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 9pm this evening (Wednesday) until 10am Thursday. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), “total sleet accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch are expected.”
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?”
Over the weekend we let you know that Safeway will be closing its location at 1800 Rockville Pike permanently this April. Now, we know that Go Fresh 365 will be taking over the space.
Jamie McIntyre, former CNN military affairs and senior Pentagon correspondent, as well as former Washington Examiner senior writer for defense and national security, will speak about how the events on 9/11 and the aftermath ushered in a “post-truth” era in America. Jamie has written extensively on this topic and draws from a life-long career in journalism, including his time at the Pentagon on 9/11.
This event is FREE and open to everyone!
BETHESDA, YOUR SATURDAY MORNING PLANS JUST GOT MORE CREATIVE.
Join Craft Cart at Coffee Republic on Saturday, September 26, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM for a beginner-friendly faux stained glass experience filled with creativity, coffee and connection.
Chief Antonio DeVaul from the Takoma Park Police Department announced the arrest of Cameron Cooper, 35, of no fixed address, for attempted armed robbery and 1st degree assault.
Maryland saw a significant 38% decrease in fatal overdoses in 2024, with 1,553 reported cases compared to 2,511 in 2023, according to preliminary state data. Governor Wes Moore attributed the decline to increased investments in behavioral health and substance use care but emphasized the need for continued efforts, particularly in addressing racial disparities in overdose rates. (more…)
On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) announced that a Montgomery County Transit Services employee had been arrested and charged with assault and endangerment after allegedly strangling and physically attacking a pregnant woman during an altercation on a Ride On bus in Chevy Chase. Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Chris Conklin released the following statement regarding the incident:
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is inviting high school students to participate in its annual “Heads Up, Phones Down” contest by creating short videos promoting safe, distraction-free walking and driving, with prizes up to $800 and student service learning hours available for participants.
WMATA has shared that it’s seeing “record ridership as more customers return to the office.” The morning rush this past Monday, February 3rd, saw 92,600 trips, which is the highest Monday rush hour ridership since 2020.
The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a bill that delays the collection of impact taxes from the start of a housing project to its completion, aiming to reduce upfront construction costs while maintaining funding for schools and transportation infrastructure. (more…)
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) has shared that 2nd District officers are investigating a shooting in the 4400 block of S. Park Ave. in Chevy Chase.