The Maryland Department of Labor’s Office of Financial Regulation, along with 47 other state regulators, reached an $80 million settlement with Block, Inc. for failing to comply with anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act laws, with Maryland receiving $1.6 million and Block agreeing to improve its compliance program. (more…)
On Tuesday, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a large house fire in the 5310 block of Griffith Rd, near Damascus Rd. in Laytonsville, a non-hydrant area, where crews encountered heavy fire conditions upon arrival. (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?”
On Wednesday, Maryland Attorney General Brown issued a statement reaffirming that state law protects transgender workers from discrimination, despite federal enforcement shifts, and condemned the EEOC Chair’s stance as a threat to civil rights. (more…)
Federal Realty has announced that Sprout will open its first location in the DMV at Bethesda Row in Bethesda, MD, in summer 2025.
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Come enjoy the day at our annual Washington Grove Arts and Craft Festival in a beautiful outdoor setting. This festival highlights local artisans including wood creations, pottery, visual art, household products and so much more. We also have food trucks from El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster’s Ice Cream and beverages from Saints Row Brewery. Bring the whole family because we have a kids activity area too. Pets on a leash are welcome too!
Reagan National Airport has shared that “All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open. Will update.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Fox News that a Blackhawk helicopter and a regional jet collided.
An adult male suspect has been identified for posting false alligator warning signs in Montgomery county parks, with charges pending. (more…)
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Nevaeh Washington, a missing 17-year-old. (more…)
The Montgomery County Police Department has released surveillance images of a suspect linked to a commercial burglary that took place on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, around 6:45 p.m. in the 6100 block of Executive Blvd. in Rockville. (more…)
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to Lakeside Laundromat a t9669 Lost Knife Rd in Gaithersburg for the report of a gas leak on Wednesday afternoon. (more…)
BGR, which stands for “Burgers Grilled Right,” has closed its Germantown location at 20940-B Frederick Rd in the Neelsville Village Center. The location has been removed from the BGR website and is listed as permanently closed on Google. The last remaining BGR in Maryland is at 6250 Columbia Crossing Circle, Suite D in Columbia.
On Tuesday, Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to freeze disbursement of federal grants: (more…)