A member of the Preference team since May of 2007, Jill Benson works behind the scenes as Preference's Payroll Manager. She is responsible for processing payroll for our temporary employees, as well as doing accounts payable and receivable. Jill loves the fast pace and variety of working in the staffing industry. The fact that she gets to work with numbers all day is just a bonus.

Jill grew up in the world of retail as her dad owned department stores in Valley City and Jamestown. She spent 18 years of her career in the retail and hospitality industry prior to moving to Fargo. Jill resides in West Fargo with her husband Brian. She speaks proudly of her three kids, Bennett, Gretchen and Greta.
 

Contact Darlene

After 17 years with Preference, Darlene Brandvold Hanson, CTS/CSP, is an expert in the Industrial Staffing division where she specializes in temp, temp-to-hire, and career placements. Darlene places quality candidates in skilled positions (e.g. welders, mechanics, fabricators, machinists, production, packaging, warehouse, and general labor). Growing up on a farm in Binford, ND, Darlene developed a mechanical aptitude. 

Prior to joining Preference, Darlene worked with service departments and manufacturing for more than 37 years. She has extensive experience in all aspects of business including HR, accounting, shipping and receiving, and administrative responsibilities. With a significant background in management, purchasing, forecasting, and budgeting, Darlene understands the importance of a company’s bottom line. As a consultant, she has the knowledge to help client companies reduce turnover, overtime, and become more efficient. Darlene relates well to both candidates and client companies as she has worked for and hired from Preference.

In her free time, she places top priority on spending time with her grandchildren and keeping her garden beautiful. 

Contact Tania

Mix together one part organization, one part grit, one part compassion, and a double dose of hard work, shake it up, and there you have Tania Cook. After two years as a school speech therapist and coach, she decided to go back to college to pursue a master’s degree. While attending college, she worked part-time at a Fortune 500 company. A mere six months later, she began climbing the corporate ladder where she would spend the next nine years in management, sales, industrial engineering, safety and operations.

Needing something fresh and a chance to make a difference in people’s lives, Tania joined Preference in February with a primary focus in direct hire, though she will lend support to the industrial and clerical staffing divisions as well. “Because my previous work experiences have given me the opportunity to work with diverse groups of people, my listening skills and empathy will enable me to be an asset to the Preference team. Here I feel a sense of pride when I help someone pursue their dream,” she says.
Pursuing dreams is a common theme for Tania who organized and coached the first Special Olympics team in a Minnesota school district. “Seeing the joy and excitement in the athletes, even if they finished in last place, is very rewarding. That experience taught me a life lesson ~ as long as you’ve worked hard and done your very best, be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

When not challenging herself at work, Tania enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, playing piano and guitar, and a wide variety of outdoor sports.

Contact Candice

Candice Dietz, CPC/CSP, President of Preference Personnel, works in the Career Placement division. Originally from Langdon and Belfield, ND, Candice’s first career was in banking, working both in western North Dakota and West Fargo. She has been in the employment industry for 27 years. Candice opened Preference on November 5, 1987, with the goal to build a team-oriented work environment in which her staff did not compete with one another. Because Candice instilled this philosophy, Preference employees truly care about the well being of our client companies and candidates, which fosters long-term relationships and referrals.

Over the years Candice has literally placed hundreds of professional/executive level people. She has experience in every facet of the staffing industry—placing clients from administrative assistants to the CEOs of large corporations. Active in the employment associations ASA, NISA, and NAPS, Candice likes the challenge of continuing her education and certifications.

David Dietz, CSP/CTS, has worked in several positions with Preference since the early 1990’s. His first experience with Preference was working as a temporary employee. Since joining the in-house staff, he has worked as Front Desk Coordinator, Payroll Administrator, Staffing Consultant, and Employer Relations Specialist. His tenure at Preference has exposed him to many industries, while relationships with Fargo-Moorhead business leaders have taught him many key issues employers face. The biggest part of David’s job is listening. Clients occasionally ask him for insight and recommendations regarding their hiring and the local labor market. “Every business is unique, yet many share similar challenges,” he asserts.

He enjoys spending time with his wife Misty and their two children Taylor Eve and Christian. Besides weightlifting and reading, David is an outdoors and "steak-and-potatoes" kind of guy with a love for hiking and snowshoeing. One of his passions is camping with his family.

With a solid background in marketing and accounting, Preference CEO Larry Dietz manages the back office of the company that he and his wife, Candice, built nearly 20 years ago. Over time, they’ve continued learning and working hard to develop a business model that goes beyond their clients’ expectations—a daunting, but exciting challenge considering they have two sets of customers—the employer and the employee.

Larry feels involvement in both local and national organizations is a means not only to shape the way business is done, but also a way to give back. He currently serves as an associate on the FargoDome Finance Committee. Past chamber activities include the Leadership Fargo Program (1996-1997). Larry is also a member of FM AM Rotary, the American Staffing Association (ASA), the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), and the North Dakota Staffing Association. Larry also helped get the North Dakota chapter of ASA off the ground.

Although Larry has known he wanted to be in business since he was nine years old, he’s not all about work. He enjoys spending time with his family and being at the lake, as well as hunting, fishing, golfing, and reading.

Working part-time as Preference’s graphic design and marketing consultant for the last seven years, Misty Dietz handles the employer’s quarterly newsletter, The Preference Reference, as well as Preference’s web site, advertising, and literature production. Misty’s professional experience includes work in education, IT, the long term care industry, and ghost writing, though for the last five years she has devoted most of her time raising the two kids she shares with husband, David.

Asked what she likes best about her job, she says unreservedly, “Little arms around my neck and lazy morning snuggles! But oh, you mean my other job!” she laughs. “Seriously, I love being able to graphically and textually communicate to clients and applicants the commitment Preference has for helping people better their lives – whether it’s finding someone a better job or career opportunity, or helping a drowning HR professional by partnering with them in their quest to find the best person for the job in a cost-effective manner. Ultimately, the team’s dedication isn’t something anyone can teach – it has to be intrinsic, and that’s how we hire here at Preference. It’s a privilege to work with such caring people, and that motivates me to provide the most helpful, relevant, and timely resources I can to the people we serve.”

When not singing silly songs or building forts out of quilts and dining room chairs, Misty loves to date her husband, write, read, garden, watch the fish in her aquariums, and scrapbook with friends.

Faye Hoven, CTS/CSP, works in the Clerical, Administrative, and Accounting/Bookkeeping division at Preference where she handles temporary, temp-to-hire, and career placements. Faye has been part of the Preference team for eleven years, but her involvement with the company goes back much longer. Preference originally placed her as a manager at a job; then she hired employees for that company through Preference, so she’s been in the shoes of the applicant, client company, as well as Preference Personnel team member, which helps her relate to both sets of customers.

Faye’s past work experiences have truly made her a polished staffing consultant. She has worked in both accounting and office management in the manufacturing, trucking, automotive, agricultural, and hospitality industries. Because of her extensive background, Faye has a genuine talent for reading candidates and knows that a good placement goes beyond an individual’s skill set.

Faye and her husband Duane enjoy their lake cabin in South Dakota on the weekends to recharge. And because they miss having their daughters living close, they look forward to the holidays as well as traveling to see them.

Vic Jones, PHR, a certified OSHA 30 Hr. Trainer for General Industry, has a variety of responsibilities including: overseeing Preference’s safety program and workers’ compensation, administering drug tests, providing safety orientation to Preference’s in-house and temporary employees, and conducting forklift training. He also assists our professional placement team on a diverse range of projects.

A member of the Northern Region Association of Safety Professionals, Vic attends various seminars as part of his continuing education in general business OSHA and Work Comp requirements.

Whew - what a guy. Vic has always worked in industrial operations with 25 years in management. But when he's not busy quoting OSHA regulations, he enjoys spending time with his family, relaxing with his soul mate, and in distant third (in no particular order), playing golf, watching birds, looking at stars, reading, grilling, and being outside.

Working in the Career Placement division for the last five years, Kara Jorvig, CPC, utilizes her experience and education recruiting top candidates for her client companies. Originally from Cooperstown, ND, Kara graduated from Concordia College with a BA degree in Organizational Communication; English Writing. Kara interned at Microsoft Business Solutions on the recruiting team. That opportunity led her to her niche. In search of a career in human resources, Kara made an appointment to have Candice at Preference assist her.

Today Candice and Kara work directly together in professional/executive searches for their client companies. They are Staffing Generalists who specialize in Executive Administration, Management, Accounting, Skilled, Sales, and Financial opportunities. Prior to joining Preference, Kara worked in a retail manager trainee program.  She developed great human resource experience while working six years for the Fargo Park District. While there she managed, staffed, and coordinated programs at both their outdoor and indoor aquatic facilities.  

In their free time, Kara and her husband Brian enjoy watching the antics of their puppy Maggie.

When you discover something you love to do, a smart person usually finds a way to circle back around to doing it often. Jon Kerzmann works with Faye in the clerical office as a staffing coordinator, and says his 7 ½ year experience with Target eventually gave him the opportunity to try his hand at staffing.

“Starting in high school, I worked my way up through Target, working at both the Fargo and Bismarck stores during college. In 2003, I accepted a Management Internship with Target in Moorhead, and spent the next year as a Team Lead before accepting an Executive position at Target in Aberdeen, SD. In Moorhead and Aberdeen, I was able to take part in recruiting and interviewing and loved it. I knew that someday I wanted to pursue a career in it,” he explains.

Following his decision to relocate back to Fargo, he worked at Microsoft on the International Sales Team for a year before he joined our office. Originally from Bismarck, Jon says he enjoys all types of outdoor activities including tennis, boating, running, camping, and snowboarding. “I love watching movies and going to concerts as well as spending as much time with friends and family as I can. And currently, I am learning to cook.” So Jon, what time’s supper?

For someone recently out of college, Kendra Krogstad came to Preference with a surprisingly well-rounded background which includes professional, industrial, clerical, and service-oriented types of work. Her wide-ranging experiences stand her in good stead as a staffing consultant who finds herself floating between departments here at Preference. Not only does she work with Darlene and Todd in Industrial staffing, but she also helps Faye and Jon in Clerical, Jill with payroll, Crystal with Front Desk, and David in various educational and employer-related activities.

With an Associate’s degree in Human Resource Management, Kendra is well-versed in employment law, interviewing skills, payroll, and customer service. “I am well-suited for my job because I think I relate well to all ages and groups of people. This is truly my dream job. While going to school, I always told people that being a staffing consultant is something I always wanted to do,” she asserts. “I really enjoy sitting down and talking with the candidates. I love meeting new people, and I feel that I gain so much knowledge when I get to meet the variety of people who come through Preference's door.”
During her free time, you can find Kendra spending time with her friends, family, dog, and her boyfriend Aaron. “I enjoy taking nice long walks. I am quite the jokester and enjoy making people laugh! Shopping is another thing I love to do in my free time. Don't get me wrong though, I am a bargain shopper - probably one of the biggest bargain shoppers you’ll ever meet!” That’s a good thing, too, because she’s just purchased her first home!

Newly graduated from Montana State University-Billings with an AS degree in Human Resources, Crystal Matthaei’s personal strengths make her a natural fit for her role as Preference’s Office Coordinator. “My favorite aspect of the job is getting to talk to and help so many different people,” she says. “I have always been a people-person, so this is perfect. I’m also very detail-oriented which helps a lot in this position.”

Crystal also notes that being a new graduate offers her the advantage of having learned all the latest information in her field. While in college, she interned at a staffing company for an entire semester which helped her becoming familiar with the staffing industry. Asked how she manages stressful work situations (five phone lines ringing at once is an everyday occurrence at Preference) she explains that her strategy is to “prioritize and everything will be taken care of.” Enough said!

In her free time, Crystal enjoys golfing, hunting, and she confides, “every now and then I get lucky and my husband Peter will take me out dancing!” Mr. G’s, here they come!
 

Todd Obbink, CTS/CSP, has worked for Preference for eight years in the Industrial Staffing division. Todd specializes in temporary, temp-to-hire, and career placement positions within the manufacturing industry. Todd is certified and conducts Preference’s drug and alcohol screenings, as well as background checks. Todd grew up on a farm near Hawarden, Iowa, and graduated with an AAS Degree from Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa.

Todd served in the US Army for twelve years and was stationed in Germany for three and a half years. Todd got his start in recruiting when the Army moved him to Fargo to work out of the local and Dickinson offices. After his enlistment, Todd settled in Fargo and joined Maintenance Engineering’s recruiting team where he focused on hiring national sales reps.

Today, Todd and his wife Jane have four children and live in West Fargo. He enjoys attending his children’s sports and music activities, as well as playing golf, darts, and bowling.

Concentrating primarily in the areas of IT and Engineering, Loren Tschosik is a Recruiter and Consultant, but he also deals with employer relations on a regular basis. Loren’s background includes more than nine years of software sales experience (seven years with a software company headquartered in Fargo and two and a half years with an organization in New York), where most of his time was spent marketing, prospecting and selling to customers in the hospitality, retail, parking, security and professional sports industries. He was also involved in business development and managed a reseller channel of more than 300 Partners.

Most of Loren’s free time is spent with his wife Melissa and their four children. “We all have a great love for the outdoors,” he says. “Camping, boating, fishing and hunting is what I love to do, as well as racquetball and watching sporting events.” And you can believe that he’s the kind of guy who works hard and plays hard.

Part of the Preference team for eight years, Karis Walstad, CTS, moved into the Employer Relations division in April 2006. Having managed the front desk for two and a half years, with a short stint in payroll and then three years in staffing, Karis discovered that she enjoys learning about individual businesses and their staffing challenges. Her foremost goals include enhancing relationships with existing clients and educating other businesses on our full range of services. "I love finding connections with all the different personalities of the hiring managers I come into contact with," she says.

Prior to working at Preference, Karis owned an embroidery business in Williston, ND. Her past experience as a business owner contributes to her confidence when consulting client companies on their staffing needs, as well as recognizing quality candidates.

Karis resides in Moorhead with her husband Kelly. She cherishes fishing, boating, and reading at the lake. One of Karis’s favorite activities is "laughing till it hurts.”