Jason P. Henderson

Chief Financial Officer, Energy Transportation, LLC

By Samantha Cart

Growing up in Bridgeport, WV, Jason Henderson, chief financial officer (CFO) for Energy Transportation, LLC, spent a lot of time outdoors. When the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services center was built on a neighboring property and an access road was built through his family’s farm, he and his brother spent hours on-site learning about heavy equipment. This, along with his father’s career in landscaping and reclamation, inspired in him a passion for construction.

“I can remember riding with my dad to his job sites, and he would point out projects he had completed,” he says. “It was so neat to think he had a part in working on something people could see.”

Henderson also aspired to become a licensed pyrotechnic. His dreams were put on hold in 2007, though, when a combination of chemicals he was mixing exploded, causing him to lose his hands.

“I had always been a hands-on person—that’s the way we were raised,” he says. “We worked in a physical labor world, and my hands were 90 percent of that world.”

While the accident altered the course of his life, Henderson’s tenacity and ability to assess and overcome challenges allowed him to reevaluate what was important, refocus his career and set new goals.

“Ultimately, the accident led me to realize all the things we take for granted daily,” he says. “It put me on the path where I needed to be, it made me much more innovative, and it showed me how many great people exist in this world.”

Henderson was able to overcome his physical limitations with the support of his family and friends and even complete strangers. This experience gave him a new mantra: if you have the right group of people around you, you can achieve anything. With this support system, he returned to school and received a business administration degree from Fairmont State University and an MBA from West Virginia University.

In addition to serving as the CFO of Energy Transportation, today Henderson also has ownership in four other companies: Applied Home Solutions, LLC; Energy Resource Group, LLC; Enviro Energy Solutions, LLC; and Quantum Environmental Services. When he came onboard at Energy Transportation in 2016, the company had fewer than 100 employees and was still in its startup phase. Today, the company has more than 300 employees and 200 trucks and has grown into a multimillion-dollar entity.

Henderson’s disability and the kindness he has been shown have left him with a deep desire to give back. “One of my goals is to return all the caring things complete strangers have done for me,” he says. “If it weren’t for the people in my life, I would not be where I am today.”

In an effort to pay it forward, he volunteers with Clarksburg Community Action, an organization dedicated to addressing the drug epidemic, and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, which helps support local law enforcement and develop programs to educate students on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and firearms.

His primary community outreach emphasis, however, has been with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a platform that has allowed him to educate students on the dangers of homemade explosives and act as a spokesperson for public awareness and educational campaigns. In 2011, he received the U.S. Attorney Award for  outstanding service to his community.

Henderson’s main motivation comes from the knowledge that tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, and he chooses to live every day to the fullest in his home state of West Virginia.

“When I had my accident, I can’t explain how many people came out and still come out to show they care,” he says. “I really feel the support I received characterizes the people in West Virginia. The reason I choose to live and work here is because I love the state and the people in it. There is such a sense of comradery among the people. You don’t find that just anywhere.”