Towson Growth Summit will bring business, education and workforce leaders together Sept. 16 at Goucher College to discuss strengthening Greater Baltimore’s skilled trades pipeline.
TOWSON, Md. — Robert Newman, Vice President of DEWALT Strategic Initiatives, Commercial & Industrial at Stanley Black & Decker, will join a panel of local experts focused on skilled trades and workforce development at the upcoming Towson Growth Summit.
The event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Goucher College Athenaeum, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road in Towson.
The skilled trades discussion comes at a critical time for employers across Greater Baltimore. As demand for qualified tradespeople continues to outpace the available workforce, local businesses, educators and workforce organizations are looking for new ways to attract people to the trades, expand training opportunities and build a stronger pipeline of skilled workers.
The Towson Growth Summit is partnering with hometown industry leader Stanley Black & Decker to help convene that conversation.
Title Sponsor of the Towson Growth Summit
Towson Growth Summit: Skilled Trades Edition
📅 Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026
⏰ 4–7 p.m.
🍸 4- 5:30p.m - Networking over cocktails and light fare
🎙️ 5:30- 7:00 p.m. - Speaker Panel (finalizing this week)
📍Goucher College Athenaeum
1021 Dulaney Valley Road
Towson, MD 21204
Rob Newman, a Towson-Based Leader With Decades of Industry Experience
Newman brings more than 25 years of commercial sales and marketing experience to the panel, with nearly all of his career spent at Stanley Black & Decker, which he joined in 1999.
In his current position, Newman leads a company-wide, multifunction task force focused on expanding Stanley Black & Decker’s presence in data center construction and developing strategic end-user relationships.
His work includes collaboration with hyperscalers, general contractors and trade partners to improve safety and speed on mission-critical construction projects — giving him a firsthand perspective on the importance of a strong, highly trained skilled trades workforce.
Newman is also active in the Maryland community. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland since 2019 and currently serves as President and Board Chair. Newman and his family also serve as a Sponsor Family for the United States Naval Academy, providing a local resource for members of the Brigade of Midshipmen preparing to become Navy and Marine Corps officers.
The Inaugural Towson Growth Summit
Stanley Black & Decker Investing in the Future of the Trades
Stanley Black & Decker is one of the Towson area’s most recognizable corporate employers and has made addressing the skilled trades shortage a major priority.
Through its DEWALT Grow the Trades initiative, the company invested more than $7 million in 2025, bringing its total investment since 2023 to $27 million toward a long-term commitment of $60 million by 2030.
The initiative has supported more than 350 organizations through cash and product donations and has helped train more than 11,000 tradespeople across the United States.
DEWALT has also expanded scholarships for trade school students and donated more than 4,250 professional toolkits to graduating apprentices at 68 schools across 23 states.
The effort reflects the increasingly important role skilled trades play in construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and other sectors essential to regional economic growth.
Building Greater Baltimore’s Workforce Pipeline
Workforce development extends well beyond the construction industry.
Healthcare systems, manufacturers, small businesses, nonprofits and major corporations all depend on their ability to find, develop and retain qualified workers. At the same time, technology is changing how people work, workforce demographics are shifting and employers are competing for talent.
The Towson Growth Summit is designed to bring those different perspectives into the same room.
Leaders from business, education, workforce development and the skilled trades will examine current workforce challenges, discuss potential solutions and identify opportunities for greater collaboration.
Attendees can expect a practical conversation about what employers and community partners can do to create opportunity, strengthen local businesses and prepare workers for the jobs driving Towson and Greater Baltimore’s future.
Representatives from Whiting-Turner are also expected to participate, with a speaker to be announced. The Summit is currently finalizing the remainder of the expert panel and accepting interest from qualified potential participants.
As Towson and the Greater Baltimore region compete for investment, businesses and talent, developing the people who will build, maintain and grow the region will remain an essential part of the equation.
On Sept. 16, local leaders will come together at Goucher College to discuss how to do just that.
