Jeania Lehenbauer
Jeania Lehenbauer is an accomplished human resources professional with 15 years of experience in the field and 11 years in her current role as Manager of Union Benefits at The Hertz Corporation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She began her career with Hertz in 2011 as an accounting clerk for the equipment rental portion of the company. From there, she advanced through roles in fleet accounting, international contracts, and payroll, ultimately moving into her current position. Throughout her tenure, Jeania has demonstrated exceptional skill in leadership, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving, establishing herself as a trusted expert in employee benefits administration within the leisure, travel, and tourism industry.
In her current role, Jeania specializes in union benefits and contract compliance, ensuring that employees receive all benefits negotiated by their unions while maintaining company adherence to union standards. She oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including processing payments, reviewing contracts, managing covered employees, and addressing employee concerns related to lost benefits, incorrect deductions, or 401(k) plans. Additionally, she provides guidance to HR business partners across multiple states to ensure full understanding and implementation of union agreements. Her expertise allows her to navigate complex regulations and provide comprehensive support to both employees and management.
Jeania earned her Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in Computer Science from Oklahoma Junior College, which has provided a strong technical foundation to support her work in benefits systems and HR operations. Her most notable professional achievement is maintaining audit compliance, ensuring that all employees receive the benefits they are entitled to and that the company meets all audit requirements. Known for wearing many hats in her role, Jeania’s dedication, thoroughness, and collaborative approach make her an invaluable leader in union benefits management and human resources.
• Labor Negotiation
• Oklahoma Junior College - AAS, Computer Science
• Employee Appreciation Recognition from Coworkers
• Girl Scouts of America
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my leadership. They saw things in me, they believed in me, they gave me the necessary tools to succeed, and helped me to grow in the various roles that I was in. Having good, strong leadership really makes or breaks a company, and I've been fortunate to have leaders who invested in my growth and development.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You have to love what you do. You have to do it well, and do it with pride, and be able to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know that you gave everything that you had. You learn from it, and you learn from those that you were assisting. We're all in this together, so it takes more than one, it takes a village. I've learned that you have to acknowledge the work of others and what you take from others, and do the best that you can for them, and they will give you the best that they have.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. Follow your dreams, follow your passion, and never give up. Always believe in yourself. And when you're feeling low, reach out. There's somebody there that will assist. There are wonderful mentors in the world that would love to see you succeed. But never give up.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I've faced was COVID. Learning how to continue to work as a team without being in the same location was really difficult. You had to hone your communication skills and your writing ability, and be able to let people know what you needed, what the goals were, what the next steps were, and be clear and concise. Keeping emotion in things is very hard, so learning how to communicate without a face-to-face is really difficult. Learning how to communicate in that type of environment was my biggest challenge. As for opportunities, my company currently offers all types of education opportunities through LinkedIn, Coursera, and the company provides that. They also give you tuition reimbursement, so it's just a matter of where you're wanting to go. Mentors are a wonderful opportunity, and I have several of them that I work with. They've always been there for me.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and integrity are my top two values. Teamwork is very critical for me. There's no such thing as I in a team. Sharing credit where credit is due is very important. If somebody helps you, you need to acknowledge them and let them know that they've done it. It's very important to acknowledge your co-workers and build strong partnerships within your co-workers.