Our 2023 Annual Fall Meeting almost felt like an economic development reunion this year as Charles County Economic Development Department (EDD) gathered with partner organizations, business leaders, and elected officials again at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center on November 7 for the first time in person since 2019.
Attracting and retaining a quality, skilled workforce is one of the most significant challenges Charles County businesses are facing in a post-pandemic economy, so we decided to tackle the subject head-on with a theme of, “Charles County: Advancing Workforce Together.”
Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins, II, opened the meeting with a county update, followed by Opening Speaker, Portia Wu, Secretary, Maryland Department of Labor. An EDD update by EDD Director Kelly Robertson-Slagle followed. She introduced the 2023 Economic Development Annual Report and a new Charles County Assent Inventory prepared this year as a first step in marshaling the resources the county can leverage to support an integrated workforce and economic development initiatives. All in attendance received a copy, and both reports are available on the Fall Meeting 2023 web page.
Keynote speaker Brad Turner-Little, President and CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards, introduced the idea of skills-based hiring. Skills-based hiring is a recruitment approach that focuses on evaluating candidates based on their skills, rather than on their education or past work experience. View slides.
A CharlesChats panel with four short presentations from workforce specialists came next:
- Darlene Breck, Founder and President of the Southern Maryland Business Center, presented, “Workplace Innovation.” View slides.
- Nicole Turner of Nicole L. Turner Consulting, presented, “Unlocking Success: The Power of Workplace Culture.” View slides.
- Donnell Rogers, President and CEO of Security, Emergency Management & K-9 Operations (SEKOPS), presented, “Effective Ways to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace.” View slides.
- Monica Allgauer, Owner, Rocket Hearing & Balance, presented, “Building Company Culture in Clinical Settings.” View slides.
A Circle of Services panel highlighted our workforce development partners within our Circle of Services. The panel, under the moderation of Ellen Flowers-Fields, Vice-President for Continuing Education and Workforce Development at the College of Southern Maryland, featured:
- Rebecca Brandt, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for Charles County Public Schools
- Jennifer Brown, SoMD 2030 Workforce Development Director and The Patuxent Partnership Programs Director
- Larysa Kautz, President & CEO of Melwood
We thank our sponsors again for their support of this event and throughout the year. A big thanks to the UM Charles Regional Medical Center, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Energetics Technology Center, Law Offices of Sue A. Greer, Hooper & Associates, NSWC Indian Head, SMECO, CHUTES International, and the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland.
Check the Fall Meeting 2023 web page for reports, presentation slides, and photos from the event. A full video recording will be available on that page soon.
