President, Manpower
By Maggie Hatfield
Growing up in Wilkesville, Ohio, Diane Strong-Treister acquired her business acumen at a very young age while working her first job as a store clerk for a local retail establishment that included a grocery store, gas station and restaurant.
“At 14 years old, I ran the establishment while the family who owned it went out of town,” she recalls. “It was there that I built on my foundation of responsibility, dependability and hard work. I also learned how to meet people and give excellent customer service.”
That foundation and experience serve her well today in her role as president and owner of Manpower, where she oversees the operation of 10 offices in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky that work to fill the employment needs of companies in the tri-state area.
“Companies are looking for employees and people are looking for employment, but the true challenge comes in finding the right person with not only the skills but the personality traits to truly fit into an organization,” she says.
Although Strong-Treister has achieved great success as a businesswoman, she is no stranger to hardship. Her father passed away when she was just 14 years old, and she watched her mom raise three children on her own. Years later, she received news that her husband, Loren, had a brain tumor.
“After 22 months of fighting and multiple surgeries, he lost the battle,” she says. “Then I was the young mother raising three small children and running a business.”
With her grit, high energy and mental toughness, Strong-Treister found the determination to not only overcome this difficult period in her life but to thrive during it.
“I had to prove that a female with young children could do this,” she says. “I wanted to show that a young businesswoman could thrive while also raising children. I lost the love of my life, my business partner, my best friend, my husband and the father of my children, but I didn’t lose my love of life or my will to make it.”
Strong-Treister saw her time of grief as an opportunity to teach her children the importance of community service.
“I started The Strong-Treister Family Foundation, Inc. when my husband passed away so I could teach my children to give back to the communities that have touched our lives in one way or another,” she says.
The foundation has supported a variety of organizations, causes and projects, including the Loren A. Treister Soccer Field at Cato Park; CAMC Cancer Center; Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern West Virginia; Kanawha County Public Library; YMCA of Kanawha Valley, Inc.; Fund for the Arts West Virginia; and Read Aloud West Virginia.
Strong-Treister also dedicates her time to several other organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Mountain State Young Presidents Organization Gold Chapter, Association of Manpower Franchise Owners, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s small business roundtable, Mountwest Foundation, Boy Scouts of America Buckskin Council, City Holding Company, Charleston Area Alliance and WorkForce West Virginia.
Giving back to the community is important to her, and she hopes to make a difference with her business understanding, leadership skills and life experiences.
“When it comes to board positions, I need to know I can make a difference and that my voice matters,” she says. “As for giving, I want to make sure West Virginians have the support and resources we had when we were fighting my husband’s battle with cancer. For instance, in the family room at Hoops Family Children’s Hospital, I make sure the families have a place to do laundry, a microwave to fix soup and snacks to enjoy on Christmas Eve because of the lonely Christmases I spent at the hospital with Loren. It is a little thing, but it makes a huge difference.”
To Strong-Treister, West Virginia is not only a great place to live, work and raise a family, it also offers the feeling of being home.
“Even though West Virginia gets its fair share of negative publicity, I make it a point to travel a lot and brag on the beauty, low cost of living and people of this wonderful state,” she says. “I have a plaque in my house that says, ‘Home is not a place, it is a feeling,’ and the Mountain State has truly given me that.”
1975 Hired as the supervisor’s secretary at Buckeye Hills Career Center
1977 Enrolled at Rio Grande College
1982 Enrolled at West Virginia State College
1984 Married husband, Loren
1985 Obtained a residential real estate license
1986 Son, Zachary, was born
1987 Started career at Manpower
1988 Son, Adam, was born
1991 Daughter, Carly, was born
1996 Moved to Boston, MA, to run Manpower operations remotely during Loren’s cancer treatment
2011 Created The Strong-Treister Family Foundation
2014 Named a YWCA Women of Achievement Honoree
2017 Named a WVSU Black and Gold Honoree
2020 Opened Manpower Healthcare Staffing
