About Us

Principal-Owner

Gerald Lenning, CPA founded the company in 1979 at the Seal Beach location. Prior to founding the company, Jerry graduated from Cal State University at Long Beach with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. He served four years as an Air Force officer earning the rank of Captain. While working at the IRS as a Revenue Agent auditing business and corporation tax returns, he attended the University of Southern Ca in the evening in their Master of Tax Program. After 6 years with the IRS and a couple of years with a local CPA firm in Los Angeles, he opened the Seal Beach office in 1979.

Jerry lives in Seal Beach with his wife Diane of over 50 years. They have 3 children, 6 grandkids, and 2 great grand kids. Church, family, and managing various real estate ventures are the main priorities in his life.

Masters of Accounting and Financial Management

Tanya Lenning-Lansing is a CPA Candidate. She graduated from University of La Verne in 2009 with a B.A. in Business Administration and graduated from Keller Graduate School in 2012 with a Masters in Accounting and Financial Management. She is currently studying to take all four parts of the CPA exam. Tanya started working with Lenning & Co., Inc. in 2007 and works with all types of tax clients including individual, corporate, partnership, and trust returns. She is also an integral part of our audit team which handles several different types of audits such as HUD, Homeowner’s Association, Non-Profit and Corporate (non-public).

Tanya is involved with the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce. She is married and has 3 grown children and 2 grandbabies. Tanya loves to travel, play golf, and be with her family on her off time.

Registered Tax Preparer

Nicholas Lenning is a CTEC Certified Tax Preparer at Lenning & Company, Inc.. He has been with the company for over 5 years offering tax and financial services. He has experience in estate planning, financial strategies and management, retirement planning, and wealth management and building strategies. Nick has recently married and plans on starting a family soon.

Tax Professional

Stephanie Briceno began her career at Lenning & Co., Inc. in October 2003 as part of the Company’s administration team. During which time she obtained her foundation in taxation by having the invaluable opportunity to learn from the Firm’s CPAs and former employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

In early 2008 she began an intensive course of study of taxation in preparation for sitting for the 3 part Enrolled Agent Examination. The studying lasted less than a year before receiving her Certificate of Enrollment in January 2009 after successfully passing all three parts of the exam. Having passed IRS awarded her “Enrolled Agent" designation, which is the highest credential the IRS awards. After which she began providing bookkeeping, payroll, income tax audit representation, and income tax preparation services. Her knowledge base is ever growing as she continues to study taxation and maintain a minimum of 16 hours of continuing education each year.

Today, she is privileged to have approximately 400, and growing, of the most amazing group of clients ranging from individual and business owners with corporations as well as rental properties.

Certified Public Accountant

John Rose is a CPA who graduated from Cal State Fullerton University with a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. John worked at the IRS for many years before going into public accounting. John worked at a local CPA firm in Fullerton for years before becoming a partner at a local firm in Long Beach for many years, before joining the Lenning & Co. Inc. team at the end of 2012. John specializes in and has over 30 years of experience in all types of income tax matters. John is also an active member in the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club where he recently served as Treasurer

John lives in Laguna Niguel with his wife of 39 years, Maryanne. John and Maryanne met and got married while both working at the IRS. John and Maryanne have 3 wonderful grown up children (2 daughters and 1 son). John enjoys spending time with his family including jogging with his wife and favorite dog, Cali.

Contract Tax Preparer

Dennis Shields, E.A. joined Lenning & Co., Inc. in 2015 after 22 years of tax experience in Orange County. He has a B.S. degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MBA from Southern Illinois University. While completing a 27 year career in the U.S. Air Force, he attained the E.A. designation in 1984 and completed the CFP curriculum in 1985. He specialized in individual tax and small tax exempt corporations.

He lives in Laguna Niguel with his wife of 20 years Mary Ann. He actively participates in First Friday Friars of Orange County, his local Knights of Columbus Council and the Southern California Viking Fan Club.

Rodney M. Scott, CPA joined the team in 2023. He graduated from California State University Long Beach in 1993 with a B.S. in Business Administration with an Accounting Emphasis. Rodney works on individual, corporate, partnership and trust returns. 

Rodney attends church regularly, and also loves to play golf, ride his bike and workout in his off time.

Richard joined the Lenning team in 2019 as the Senior Audit Manager.  Rich graduated from Cal State University at Long Beach with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. 

Rich eventually transitioned to the audit arena and has over 23 years of audit management experience, including cost recovery audits, program specific- financial and compliance audits, and internal control reviews for various public agencies including municipal, county, and federal governmental entities.

Rich lives in San Dimas with his wife Terry of over 44 years.   They have a son and daughter and five grandchildren.   Rich loves to travel and enjoys attending live concerts.  He also loves spending time with the grandkids at every opportunity.

Nick graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Finance and in 2002 with a B.S. in Accounting from Cal State University, Long Beach. He has been an active certified public accountant since 2010 and has a combined 25 years of both public and private accounting experience in roles as an Audit Senior, Controller and Chief Financial Officer. He started with Lenning in 2022 as a new member of the Audit team, performing HUD, not for profit, private company for profit audits, reviews, compilations and agreed upon procedure engagements. 

Nick enjoys all sports, health and fitness, cooking, playing guitar, reading and writing.