The City of Fargo is inviting community members to attend an open house event on Wednesday, May 28, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Commission Chambers at City Hall (225 4th St. N.) to meet the three finalists for the position of Fargo Fire Chief. The members of the Fargo City Commission have been invited so a quorum may be present.
The City of Fargo formed the Fire Chief Selection Committee to conduct a national search for a new Fire Chief in anticipation of Chief Steven Dirksen’s retirement on May 16, 2025. The City received a total of 15 applications for the position. The Selection Committee conducted virtual interviews with six applicants and designated three of them as finalists who will take part in an in-person interview process. Following that process, the Selection Committee will recommend one of the finalists to City Administrator Michael Redlinger, the hiring manager for the Fire Chief position. The City Administrator will present the preferred candidate to the City Commission for their consideration and approval. The following are biographies of the three finalists, as received from each candidate:
TIM BINFET | Fargo, North Dakota
Tim Binfet lives in north Fargo with his wife Kelly. They have two children, Morgan who lives in Los Angeles and Jack who lives in Fargo. Tim graduated from Shanley High School and Minnesota State University Moorhead with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. He previously taught third grade in California and worked as a substitute teacher with Fargo Public Schools. Tim is a 26-year veteran of the Fargo Fire Department. His current position is the Division Chief of Operations, where he oversees the Emergency Operations Division and the facilities of the department. Tim graduated from the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in 2022. He is involved with the accreditation of the Fire Department and also serves as a peer assessor for the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
GARY LORENZ | Grand Forks, North Dakota
Gary Lorenz currently serves as the Fire Chief for the City of Grand Forks, North Dakota, a position he has held since 2018. With over three decades of fire service experience, Chief Lorenz brings a deep commitment to public safety, leadership and community resilience. Before joining the Grand Forks Fire Department, Chief Lorenz dedicated 28 years to the Fargo Fire Department. During his tenure there, he served in various capacities, culminating in his final six years as one of the department’s three Assistant Chiefs. Chief Lorenz holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and an Associate of Applied Science in Electronic Communications. He is also a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. An advocate for collaboration and strategic planning, Chief Lorenz has been active in fire service leadership at the local, state and national levels. He currently represents the North Dakota Fire Chiefs Association on both the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services Advisory Committee and the State Interoperable Radio Network Executive Steering Committee. Additionally, he has served as the North Dakota representative to the Missouri Valley Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and has contributed to the advancement of fire service standards as a peer assessor for the Commission on Fire Accreditation. Chief Lorenz and his wife, Pamela, are proud parents of two children, Matthew and Megan.
CRAIG NELSON | Fargo, North Dakota
Craig Nelson started working as an airline pilot in 1997 and joined the Shakopee Fire Department early in 2001. After September 11, 2001, he was laid off from his airline job and decided his calling was in the fire service. He has served as a volunteer, paid on-call and full-time firefighter through the years. He is currently a Division Chief for the Fargo Fire Department. Prior to his current role with the Fargo Fire Department, he worked his way up through the ranks in roles as a firefighter, captain and battalion chief. He has also been a fire instructor for Minnesota State Community and Technical College and has worked seasonally for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a wildland firefighter in northwest Minnesota. Craig has co-written a fire service book, spoken at national fire conferences and continues to co-host a monthly fire service podcast. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership, and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. Craig has been married to his wife Paula, who is a teacher with Fargo Public Schools, for 29 years. They have two grown children, Dane and Kjersten.
FIRE CHIEF SELECTION COMMITTEE
The members of the Fire Chief Selection Committee include:
Dr. Tim Mahoney | Mayor
Denise Kolpack | Deputy Mayor
Mary Edinger | Operations Manager, Red River Regional Dispatch Center
Casey Gibson | Firefighter
Tim Meyer | Senior Director of Emergency Operations, Sanford AirMed and Sanford Ambulance
Jill Minette | Human Resources Director
Brett Petsinger | Fire Training Captain
Michael Redlinger | City Administrator – Hiring Manager
Susan Thompson | Finance Director
David Zibolski | Police Chief
Ashley Swanson | Human Resources Associate (Facilitator)
Camila Van Dyke | Human Resources Manager (Facilitator)
Beth Wiegman | Human Resources Assistant Director (Facilitator)