Hires and promotions (Dec. 20)

Thrivent’s Moorhead office has two new reps

Matthew McKinney has joined Thrivent Financial as a financial representative.
McKinney will be working in Thrivent’s Moorhead office at 1130 29th Ave. S., along with Bradley Loween, who has worked in the Moorhead office since March.

BCBSND names Griffin marketing team lead

Jean Griffin has been named marketing team lead at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota in Fargo.
She directs, supervises and trains teams in the Fargo and Jamestown marketing offices. Griffin joined the company as an underwriter clerk for non-group in 1995. She was promoted to trainer/coordinator and then to membership operations analyst.
Griffin graduated from the North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, with an associate degree in business administration.

Two nurse practitioners hired at Essentia Health

Nurse practitioners Elisabeth Barlow and Diana Vilkama have joined Essentia Health in Fargo.
Barlow is working in the urology department at the Essentia Health 32nd Avenue Clinic.
Vilkama works in the pediatrics department at the Essentia Health-South University Clinic and will also care for patients in the newborn nursery and the inpatient pediatric unit at Essentia Health.
Barlow earned a doctorate degree in nursing from Creighton University College of Nursing, Omaha.
Vilkama earned a master’s degree in nursing from Rush University in Chicago.

Catholic Charities ND adds Lende to staff

Caley Lende has been hired at Catholic Charities North Dakota in Fargo as the receptionist/ administrative assistant.
She is currently attending North Dakota State University where she is pursuing a degree in criminal justice and psychology. For the past six years, she has worked at Bordertown Pub and Grille in West Fargo, most recently as assistant manager.

RealTruck.com appoints new marketing manager

Antinea Ascione has been promoted to marketing manager at RealTruck.
com. She previously worked for the company as a content writer.
Ascione works in the RealTruck office in Fargo.

Stromsborg hired in commercial lines dept.

Jill Stromsborg has joined Dawson Insurance in Fargo as a commercial lines account assistant. Her customer service career includes experience in student financial services, day care curriculum and operations and banking.
Stromsborg earned a bachelor’s degree in child development and family science at North Dakota State University.

PRG adds Carney to commercial division

Property Resources Group, Fargo, has hired Logan Carney as a commercial Realtor in the commercial sales and leasing division.
Carney worked for more than 10 years in the retail industry with Stop-N-Go in their stores and in the corporate office.

Two promoted at Credit Collections Bureau

The Credit Collections Bureau has promoted Gail King and Kandy Bloom to collection associates.
Both work in the company’s Fargo office.

Ulteig hires senior administrative assistant

Ulteig has hired Tammy Parrett as a senior administrative assistant. She most recently worked for Ground Round in Bismarck. She has more than 31 years of experience.
Parrett will be based out of Ulteig’s Fargo office.

KLJ hires Marusak as engineer in power group

KLJ, an engineering, surveying and planning firm, has hired Justin Marusak in its Fargo office.
Marusak is an engineer in the power group. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University. He has more than two years of consulting and engineering experience.

Swanston adds heavy equipment technician

Swanston Equipment Co., Fargo, has added Anthony Hemmelgarn as a heavy equipment technician.
Hemmelgarn has prior experience working as a diesel mechanic at a semi dealership and served in the U.S. Army infantry for six years.

Sargent County Bank, Insurance hires four

Sargent County Bank, Forman, N.D., has hired Briana Hanson as assistant cashier. Sargent County Insurance has hired Jesse Mastenbrook as the agency manager and Katie Woytassek as an administrative assistant, both in the Forman office, and David Kudelka as an agent in the Gwinner, N.D., office.
Hanson is a native of Oakes, N.D. She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Dakota State University and is a certified public accountant. She previously worked as a staff CPA for Ptacek Financial Services, Oakes.
Mastenbrook is completing his bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Mary and was previously employed as a DirecTV systems trainer.
Woytassek attended the North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, and she graduated from Globe University with an associate degree in veterinary technology. She previously worked as a vet tech at Oakes (N.D.) Veterinary Service.
Kudelka is a graduate of Valley City (N.D.) State University with a degree in business administration. He previously worked for five years in Puyallup, Wash., as a sales consultant for West Coast Software Sales. He also worked as a sales consultant for Red River Software, Fargo.

American Crystal Sugar promotes Kuersteiner

American Crystal Sugar Co. has promoted Branden Kuersteiner to assistant packaging and warehouse supervisor at the factory in East Grand Forks, Minn.
He joined ACSC in 2013 as a packaging operator and has also held the packaging tech and house mechanic positions.
Kuersteiner has two years of experience related to his new position. He has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York and a certificate of manufacturing management. He is currently pursuing a degree in manufacturing and quality management.

AE2S hires Glennon as a project engineer

Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services has hired Mark Glennon as a project engineer in the firm’s Fargo office. He will be working in the civil engineering department, responsible for the design of land development sites including roadways, grading and drainage projects and utility infrastructure.
Glennon has more than 10 years of experience in civil engineering. He was previously a senior engineer with SRF Consulting Group, Minneapolis, and a project engineer with Van Sickle, Allen & Associates, Plymouth, Minn.
Originally from Hatton, N.D., he has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Dakota State University.

Three new employees at Western State Bank

Western State Bank, West Fargo, has hired Pege Klemisch as a mortgage loan assistant, Marissa Olson as a credit analyst and Sam Krause as a communications specialist in the sales and marketing department.
Klemisch previously worked with Valley Mortgage and Northwestern Bank. Originally from Detroit Lakes, Minn., Klemisch studied business at North Dakota State University.
Olson previously worked at Gate City Bank, West Fargo. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in accounting from North Dakota State University. She is originally from Jamestown, N.D.
Krause is a native of Moorhead, and she was previously a strategic marketing intern at United Healthcare, Minnetonka, Minn. She earned bachelor’s degrees in communication and English writing at Concordia College.

Rieder named Fraser residential coordinator

Alysia Rieder has accepted the position of residential coordinator with Fraser Ltd., Fargo.
Rieder graduated from Mayville (N.D.) State University with a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology, with a minor in general science.

Blueprint IT names VP, national sales director

Blueprint IT Solutions in Fargo has hired Ben Ziegler as vice president/director of national sales for ACT Wi-Fi, a subsidiary of Blueprint IT Solutions.
Ziegler has more than 20 years of experience in business and communications. He is also the host of KZTK FM, The Truck.

CableOne Advertising announces new hire

Travis McLaurin has accepted a position at CableOne Advertising in Fargo as an advertising sales account manager.
McLaurin was previously employed by Red River Broadcasting. He has more than eight years of media experience and is a graduate of Valley City (N.D.) State University.

RDO Equipment hires three in Fargo office

RDO Equipment Co. has hired Shelina Angeles as an executive assistant, Eric Blum as a financial planning analyst and Megan Wahl as a human resources specialist. All will be working in the company’s field support office in Fargo.
Angeles has a degree from Minnesota State Community and Technical College, and she most recently worked at Rodenburg Law Firm.
Blum graduated from North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead. He most recently worked at Family HealthCare.
Wahl is a graduate of Minnesota State University Mankato, and she previously worked for Target.

MBN Engineering hires engineering tech

Mike Petersen has joined MBN Engineering, Fargo, as a mechanical engineering technician.
He will be specializing in mechanical drafting and design.