12:10 to the Top: Chase Massie

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  • 12:10 to the Top: Chase Massie
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As Human Resources Manager for Henniges Automotive’s Frederick plant, Lawton’s own Chase Massie says he enjoys doing what he can to benefit the employees as well as the people across southwest Oklahoma.

Before joining the auto parts manufacturer about three years ago, Massie had served as Director of Human Resources for Cameron University as well as the City of Lawton.

Working his way into the position at Cameron posed a challenge that Massie accepted. As Employee Relations Coordinator, he oversaw benefits packages, onboarding and orientations for Cameron’s employees.

I did “pretty much anything that had to do with incoming employees,” he said. “I was a recruiter, worked though all their new-hire paperwork and helped them get set up. I did that for a little over a year when the Director of HR position came open.”

“I had all the educational qualifications; my biggest downfall was that I was young,” he said. “I knew the ins and outs of the department really well. But there’s not many HR Directors that are 25 years old.”

When a more-experienced candidate was offered the position and later backed out, Massie performed his regularly assigned work and acted as interim HR Director, including screening candidates for the position for which he applied.

Three months later he was named Human Resources Director.

“That’s something that I look back on as a career-defining moment,” he said. “Instead of complaining or quitting, I took over as the HR Director and was there for five years. Probably one of the youngest directors they’ve ever had.”

Approached by the City of Lawton to become their HR Director, Massie transitioned into a role he describes as ‘tough’ but ‘eye-opening’.

“Working with an employer who is bound by city council and municipal regulations is not as simple as so many people think,” he stated. “It was all so eye-opening being on the other side of it. I understood a whole lot more about city budget, about why decisions were made and about resources.

“It was tough, but it was very fulfilling. When we’d get something accomplished, it made a huge difference. I came in and our health fund was negative, and when I left, we had $750,000 in reserve. We did some really positive things to help the city.”

Through his connections with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Massie’s career took another turn.

When Ronnie Cross, Plant Manager at Henniges Automotive’s Frederick plant called on Massie to work for them, Massie had no idea what he was getting into.

“I’d never heard of Henniges and had no idea who they were,” he said. “They were looking for an HR Manager and my initial thought was, ‘who would recommend me for this job at a garage?’ and ‘why would I become an HR person for a mom-and-pop shop?’

“It turned out Henniges Automotive was a major player in the automotive world with multiple plants across the globe.”

At Henniges, in addition to overseeing the employees’ services, policies and programs, Massie is interested in creating a strong, positive work environment which includes working on recruitment and retention.

Partnering with Great Plains Technology Center, Henniges created a program that allows interested applicants to gain knowledge of the machinery and work environment. Now in its ninth cycle, candidates can apply for scholarships to take the 6-week class. To date, 49 students have successfully completed the course.

Massie graduated from Cameron University and earned his Master’s in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Leadership Lawton and the president of Southwest Oklaho- ma Human Resources Association (SWOKHR), a resourceful tool to help HR professionals network and collect useful information.

Massie serves on the boards of United Way of Southwest Oklahoma, Cameron University Foundation, Lawton Employment Council and is the past president of Lawton Young Professionals.

With many of the community service projects currently on hold due to the concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Massie has been able to spend time with his wife, Nanette, and their 2-year-old daughter, Sloan.

Henniges’ Frederick plant was forced to temporarily lay off the vast majority of its employees, which was alarming.

“It’s tough trying to figure out that balance,” he said. “How do we get our 300 employees back? How do we get them working? And how do we meet our orders? All while doing it safely. It’s going to be a tight budget year no matter what. When you lose two months...you’re not going to recover that. So, it’s going to be a challenging year regardless. And we’re trying to figure out financially, how to help with recruitment, morale, engagement and safety, and at the same time, not break the bank.”

Receiving numerous phone calls from employees daily, many times all Massie could do was listen.

“I’ve basically had to become an expert in unemployment,” said Massie. “It’s a nightmare. You’ve got employees who’ve got kids and they’re close to being evicted. They have no money and haven’t been paid in six weeks. It’s—there’s nothing you can do. You’ve just have to listen to them, and try and help when you can.”

Henniges has since returned to full capacity with numerous strict guidelines put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those practices include prescreening and infrared temperature checks, pre- and post-shift disinfecting, social distancing and use of masks while in close proximity to other employees, Massie stated.

“We’re doing all we can to ensure our employees and their families are safe,” Massie stated.

As for southwest Oklahoma, Massie understands the need for beautification projects in order to entice people to move into the area.

“Every community has their places they want to keep out of sight,” he said. “We’re the hub of southwest Oklahoma.

“I just hope that Lawton becomes a place where young people want to stay. And I think it starts with quality of life. What do we have that would entice people to be here? My hope is that Lawton becomes a place of choice and not a place people are passing through.”