We at the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) are very optimistic about the New Year.

It is truly an honor to be back at the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp. (AAEDC). As I settle into my new, but familiar, office and see many recognizable faces, I am experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu. It is exciting to be back working for Anne Arundel County — the best place to work, live and start a business.

Downtown Columbia, with an already altered landscape, has even more changes on the horizon as the plan for redevelopment continues to unfold.

Technology permeates nearly every aspect of our lives. We are often quick to adopt technologies that bring new levels of convenience to our personal and professional worlds without fully considering the security implications.

For the members of Maryland’s film and television production industry, the Dec. 2 hearing held at the Miller Building in Annapolis was just the latest trip down a road that’s been well traveled in recent years.

Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and Howard Community College (HCC) are among the 14 Maryland community colleges that have partnered to receive nearly $15 million in federal grant funding from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) competitive grant program.

More than 200 startup companies will compete in the third annual InvestMaryland Challenge, Maryland’s international business competition, the Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has announced.

The Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corp. (AAWDC) recently received a $9.9 million Ready to Work Partnership Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to establish the Maryland Tech Connection (MTC). MTC is a partnership of 59 organizations throughout central Maryland, covering 12 counties and Baltimore City.

Mike Binko is president/CEO of and a member of the board of directors for kloudtrack, an Annapolis-based provider of cloud-based governance, risk and compliance (GRC) data, and process management technologies and solution services. He is also an organizing board member for the Startup Maryland region of the Startup America Partnership.

As Skyline Technology Services, of Glen Burnie, celebrates its 10th anniversary, the company is also celebrating an expansion of a product line focused on video sharing. Skyline’s OneView video sharing solution made news headlines this year as elementary schools in Baltimore County installed a system that will make real-time security footage available to county police, as well as to the county’s Department of School Safety and Security.