Roger Hanshaw

Attorney, Bowles Rice LLP
Member, West Virginia House of Delegates

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Written by Katie Allie

Except for a few years away from home in the name of higher education, Roger Hanshaw has lived his entire life surrounded by the beauty of Clay County, WV, where his family has lived for generations. He left home for Morgantown to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at West Virginia University (WVU) and later for the University of Notre Dame, where he received a Ph.D. in chemistry. Although he wanted to become a veterinarian growing up, he found himself in law school at WVU after following the advice of one of his earliest mentors, Steve Hannah, which led to his current role as an attorney at Bowles Rice LLP.

Despite his challenging career, Hanshaw still finds time in his busy schedule to volunteer for a variety of causes, particularly ones he feels will have a strong impact on his home state. A natural problem solver and innovator, he has dedicated his life to public and community service. “I want to be able to continue living in West Virginia, and that means doing everything I can to make it a desirable place to live, not just for me but for everyone else who calls our state home,” he says. “I seek out opportunities that have the greatest potential for impact.”

Part of that impact includes serving Calhoun, Clay and Gilmer counties as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. When he is not practicing law or attending legislative sessions, Hanshaw is busy serving in a variety of roles, including an active member of the WVU Extension Service-Clay County and board of director’s member for the West Virginia and Clay County farm bureaus. He melds his business knowledge with an interest in the environment for WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, where he serves as a visiting committee member. He volunteers with the Clay County Business Development Authority, where he has organized free classes for small businesses; assisted local furniture makers in starting a co-op; spearheads the Business of the Month program and works with local farmers to market their produce. Hanshaw is the moderator and cofounder of What’s Next, Clay County?, a speaker for WVU Extension’s Community Leadership Academy and a member and deacon of Fola Missionary Baptist Church. This past summer, he volunteered with flood relief efforts in Clay County by orchestrating volunteer teams for supply and distribution, and he is a former board member of the Clay County Fair and former member of Potomac State College of WVU’s visiting committee. “We all have an obligation to make our communities the best they can be,” he says. “The more success you’ve enjoyed in life, the bigger I believe your obligation is.”

One of Hanshaw’s unique interests allows him to play a crucial role in several other organizations. As one of 250 credentialed parliamentarians in the U.S., Hanshaw is a recognized expert in interpreting and applying Robert’s Rules of Order, the proper procedures for conducting official meetings. He holds the highest attainable credentials from the American Institute of Parliamentarians and National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP). He was selected as the national director for NAP in 2014 and also served as state president of the West Virginia State Association of Parliamentarians from 2011-2015. He volunteers as a judge and mentor for the annual parliamentary procedure career development events for the Future Farmers of America and National Technology Student Association and trains new board members around the Mountain State for the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.

Despite the time and effort Hanshaw has put into his work, he is still humble about his success. “I consider my life to be a product of equal measures of good fortune, hard work and a lot of help from other people,” he says.

Above all, he is proud to be able to do all of these things in his home state, where he is dedicated to making life better for everyone. “I live in West Virginia by choice. Those of us who could choose to live anywhere but make West Virginia our home by choice have an obligation to try to improve our state,” he says. “I stay motivated by that duty. Help is not on the way. If West Virginia is going to become more than it is, it is up to those of us who have chosen to stay here to make it happen.”

What is your favorite . . . ?

Color – Green
Food – Oreo cookie ice cream
Cartoon Character – Foghorn Leghorn
Ice Cream – see above
Animal – My cat, Sophie, a tortoise shell calico rescued from a shelter
Book – “The Double Helix”
Midnight Snack – Little Debbie Fudge Round snack cakes
TV Show – “The West Wing”
Movie – “Wall Street”
Smell – Fall leaves
Pet – My dog, Jethro, a Rottweiler rescued from a shelter
Place – Chicago
Small Local Restaurant – Puglioni’s Pasta & Pizza in Morgantown
Season – Fall
West Virginia Location – Cass Scenic Railroad
West Virginia Activity – Visit state parks