Jenae Tuma helps others find their path—just as she did

When Jenae Tuma first moved to the Mt. Pleasant area 11 years ago, her desire to find her vocation outpaced her certainty about what exactly that vocation might be. 

Faced with that uncertainty, Tuma did the most pragmatic thing she could do: make the most of each opportunity in front of her. 

While there was nothing unusual about Tuma’s initial uncertainty over her professional direction, her discipline and determination are unique. Tuma’s combination of pragmatism and dedication eventually led to a role with Blystone & Bailey, CPAs. 

Tuma began working at Blystone & Bailey without any formal experience or education in accounting. Despite the lack of prior knowledge, Tuma performed well, with the partners at Blystone & Bailey recognizing her potential and elevating her to a more involved role in the company, where she currently serves as a staff accountant and human resources specialist. 

Now, Tuma has her bachelor’s degree in accounting and a career that is a direct result of her persistence. 

“I developed a special relationship with a lot of people [at Blystone & Bailey]. I think this is the best place I’ve ever worked because of the relationships I’ve formed and because people became comfortable with me,” says Tuma. 

Now, Tuma uses her established role to help other members of her team adapt and assimilate. 

“I became this middle ground, where people would come to me with their issues or something they wanted to talk about,” she says. “That’s how I adopted this human resources role, and it’s been a great opportunity for me to be the intermediary.”

Not just an intermediary for her peers, Tuma also mentors students who are still trying to identify their professional calling; one of Tuma’s roles at Blystone & Bailey is to help oversee the internship program. 

“I’m excited to continue to see these kids grow. To me, the experience they get here is like none other,” she says. “They’re getting to ask questions, and they’re getting to work directly with the partners.”

For Tuma, being able to help prospective professionals find their way—much the same as she did when she first joined Blystone & Bailey—is a privilege that is personally relevant. 

On her ability to share her experiences, she says, “Every intern that comes through, I tell my story to them. I let them know you don’t have to know what you want to do when you first go [to college]. Just go explore because you never know what you’re going to get into. Even with accounting, you can do several different things with an accounting degree.”

Part of Tuma’s propensity for acting as a mentor and an intermediary comes from her own personal experience as a newcomer to the area. 

“I’m proud that I’m not originally from here and that I’ve been able to grow my circle of networking within the area,” Tuma shares. “I didn’t have a lot of the ties that some people already had, so I am proud of the relationships I’ve established.” 

Tuma’s endeavors to form meaningful connections and broaden her sphere of influence has led to her being able to advise the community on financial practices, including passing her skills and professional knowledge to the next generation of professionals.

After speaking to local youth at Listening Ear about tax returns, Tuma’s ability to convey the knowledge in a palatable way earned her a return invitation. 

Similarly, Tuma spoke to the Mt. Pleasant Young Professionals Network about managing finances. 

For Tuma, sharing advice with her community is particularly meaningful. 

“That’s where I’m really trying to share my knowledge with, is these younger groups,” she says. “I’ve always had a soft spot for younger people, even if I’m still considered young myself. I love being able to share my knowledge about things that may be simple to me, but not everybody knows them.”

Tuma’s desire to help youth extends to her own family. With every action Tuma takes to ensure Mt. Pleasant is a better community for posterity, she indirectly, yet intentionally, improves it for her own children. 

“If I improve the community I live in, I get to make connections with people, which I love doing, but then I also know that as my children grow up, they get to see me doing those things and then they’ll want to get involved,” Tuma says. “That means [I’ve helped raise] another generation that wants to make their community better as well.”