Our Team
Watertown Branch
Jim Knudson
Jim was born and raised and currently resides on a farm north of Florence in Day County, with his wife of over 30 years, Cheryl. They have two children - Taylor and husband Jaiden Randall, and Will and wife Abby. They also have one grandson, Eli Randall.
Jim graduated from Florence High School and Lake Area Vo-Tech. After a few years in the grain elevator industry he started in the insurance business in 1992. Jim has experience in all areas of property and casualty insurance, especially commercial agriculture, farms and contractors. He believes insurance education is very important, as he attends continuing education seminars each year to maintain Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.
Jim's free time is spent hunting, enjoying time at the lake, sightseeing, playing with his grandson and working on the family farm. He is a life-long member of the New Helgen Lutheran Church serving on numerous boards, and a board member of the Helgen Cemetery.
Amy Block
Amy is married to Chad and they have two sons, Cody and Hudson. Amy moved to Watertown in 1996 and worked for a locally owned manufacturing plant as a Sales Coordinator and in 2005 began her career with Puthoff Insurance. Amy obtained her CISR designation in 2010 and in 2018 earned the CISR Elite designation.
Amy served as the Women’s Bowling Association President for 6 years. She was actively involved with the Watertown Youth Soccer Association and helped raise money for local non-profit groups / organizations through the Change for a Charity events. She currently is a member of the Watertown Area PACH (People Against Child Hunger) Board.
In her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Hartford Branch
Dave Puthoff
Dave was born in Humboldt, SD and graduated from West Central High School in 1980. He has lived in Hartford since 1984 with his wife, Kim, where they raised two daughters, Amy and Sara, and live with their dog, Skye. Dave has five grandchildren, Callen, Myka, Elliot, Boden and Everett.
Dave has been selling insurance in the Hartford area since 2000 and prior to that worked for 20 years at the John Deere Dealership in Humboldt, SD in the parts department and sales.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is on St George Parish Cemetery committee and served 4 years on the Hartford Town Board and officiated High school basketball for 25 years.
Dave enjoys being with family as well as hunting and fishing.
Howard Branch
Kari Jo Carlson
Kari Jo was raised in Canova South Dakota; home of the Canova Gang Amateur baseball team. She is a lifelong resident of Miner County where she is active in her church, Immanuel Lutheran. She is also a Miner County Commissioner where she is the Chair of the Planning and Zoning Board.
Kari Jo worked for 29 years as a licensed abstracter, real estate closing agent and several years as a legal assistant at Fidelity Abstract & Title Company, Sanborn County Realty & Title Company, and the Mumford, Protsch Law Office. She became licensed to sell Property and Casualty Insurance in June 2025.
Kari Jo and her husband Terry reside on a farm outside of Canova. They have 3 grown children, and 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 9 to 19. They enjoy going to their grandkids activities, camping, riding their horses and motorcycles.
Madyson Schlim
Madyson was born and raised in Jefferson, Georgia, where she developed a strong passion for agriculture and became deeply involved in the livestock community from a young age. She attended Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, where she earned an Associate of Science degree in Agriculture.
In 2023, Madyson relocated to South Dakota and obtained her Property and Casualty Insurance license. She spent the following two and a half years working in the insurance industry in the Mitchell area, gaining valuable experience in serving clients and supporting their insurance needs.
Madyson later moved to Madison, South Dakota, where she took on the responsibility of managing her family’s business. Her career and experiences have continued to strengthen her connection to agriculture, business, and the rural communities she values.
Today, Madyson resides in Carthage, South Dakota, with her husband, Logan, and their daughter, Rory, where they are proud to call the family farm home. Her background in agriculture, livestock, insurance, and family business has shaped her into a hardworking and community-minded professional with a deep appreciation for the agricultural way of life.