A Path to Purpose: A Journey of Safety and Service
Born in West Virginia as the youngest of four children, Jeff Parsons’ early years were defined by adventure and a need to embrace adaptability. His family moved to Arizona when he was a small child, settling near the town of Page where his father was head of construction for the Glen Canyon Dam. With no housing available, construction workers and their families lived in trailers in the middle of the desert. Jeff’s elementary school was entirely populated by children from the Navajo Nation. None of the other students spoke English – and Jeff didn’t speak Navajo – but he quickly learned the universal power of connection through games and sharing his lunches. This formative experience taught Jeff and his siblings that fitting in anywhere is possible, reinforcing his belief that “home is where the heart is.”
After the Glen Canyon project concluded, the Parsons family briefly moved to Phoenix while Jeff’s father accepted a position in Caracas, Venezuela. While his dad relocated for the role, the family spent three months learning Spanish, anticipating an exciting new adventure while preparing to leave the U.S. Once in Caracas, Jeff’s mother and the kids lived within the confines of a 5-star hotel for three months, waiting for housing to become ready at the work site. The Venezuela project, however, was canceled for the construction company his father worked for, and they all packed up to return to the U.S. together.
Jeff completed high school in Hershey, Pa., and began putting himself through college at Penn State in Harrisburg. He left after two years to work as an engineering apprentice at the infamous Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station. Then, at age 21, he joined the safety department at Willow Island Power Station in West Virginia, where he immediately began working to earn EMT certification. Six months into his new role, a horrific life-altering tragedy struck. An unfinished cooling tower collapsed due to scaffolding failure, claiming 51 lives in what is still considered the nation’s deadliest construction accident. As a first responder, Jeff and his team members were immediately sent in to support victim recovery efforts. The resulting trauma was enormous. “I realized I needed a purpose,” he reflected. “If I could focus on becoming a good, solid professional, I knew I could prevent unnecessary deaths.”
Jeff’s career began to evolve as he became the first safety supervisor for an advanced coal-fired power station, hiring hundreds of employees and helping ensure a spotless safety record. Balancing an intense work, school and volunteer schedule, he taught trauma response and supported area paramedics with the full encouragement and backing of his plant manager. “I decided I couldn’t be the kind of person who expects everything to just come to them. I wanted to join in to help be part of the solution.” Over time, his expertise and experience led to higher leadership roles, including senior director of safety and security at Sysco Corporation. However, the demands of constant travel meant his personal life suffered greatly. “God was trying to humble me,” he said. Finding new and challenging roles in safety and risk management for a handful of other companies, he eventually joined the Harris County, Texas Emergency Operations Center. There, he worked in storm command and even served as a liaison to the Office of Homeland Security Emergency Management.
Finally retiring (for the first time) in 2022, Jeff and his wife, Xiumei Yao, a traditional Chinese woman he describes as his soulmate, traveled throughout Southeast Asia before settling in Northwest Arkansas to join his son. Not ready to stop making meaningful contributions, Jeff found an appealing Butterfield job listing that mentioned “serving seniors.” He was hired right away as the new campus security supervisor. “I wanted to be someplace where people have a life to share,” he said. Jeff values the connections he’s building with residents and staff – and he appreciates BTV’s welcoming, something-for-everyone community vibe. “I am confident my medical background can help the great people we serve here. Beyond that, though, I plan to make time to sit down and talk in-depth with people, hear their stories.”
