Bonnie - Constant Contact
DioCesan House SnapShot: Bonnie Holton “The clear path of numbers, that’s what I love. If you follow each step thoughtfully, then it all comes together as it should, I just love it”. Bonnie Holton is the Diocesan House Administer, which means she maintains systematic organization and a keen eye to stay on budget. She pays the bills, negotiates with insurance agents, analyzes expenses, and holds the bottom line with the warmth of a mother’s guiding hand. Bonnie Holton grew up in Charlotte, NC and moved to Kinston in 1988 with her husband and three children. She began work at St. Mary’s Episcopal as a part-time parish secretary, a perfect fit for a mother with three children to manage. Part-time grew into full time Parish Administer or Business manager. Bonnie was happy. Happy to work with the church and contribute her talents to the kingdom of God. After 17 years with St. Mary’s, a position opened at the Diocesan House for Bishop’s Assistant. Someone asked Bonnie if she would consider the job. She brushed it off, content with where she had been and comfortable in the organized system which she had helped build at St. Mary’s. Why leave? Then another came with the same question, and a third. By the third request, Bonnie thought the proposition could be a call. She knew Diocesan House utilized the same software she had become accustomed to, which would make for an easy transition to the new office. She talked it over with her husband, and she went in for the interview. In 2003 Bonnie began work at the Diocesan House with The Rt. Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel. Over the years Holton transitioned into a finance position, and in 2013 she took the helm at her current post of Diocesan Administrator. Budget sustainability is a way of life for Bonnie Holton. Budgets of energy, food, water, shelter and their carefully balanced equations of assets and costs. Bonnie is green. She and her husband Ronnie live in the beautiful countryside of Deep Run, NC, and she drives to the Diocesan House in a Toyota Prius. Bonnie’s house was designed by her daughter Heather Perry, who is currently practicing architecture in New Bern. The first set of plans for the house were drafted while Heather was in high school. A simple white ranch with a steeply pitched roof found at the end of a short road south of the Neuse River. Bonnie and Ronnie chose to be the general contractors for the construction which took place over 2 years from 2001 to 2003. Special features include a SIP wall system. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. Solid walls that have the look of an ice cream sandwich are pre-built and delivered to the construction site for easy installation of the exterior, room, and roof walls. Wooden studs and sheetrock are not used. Sort of like building a house with Yeti Cooler walls. The solid characteristic of the walls endows the structure with greater strength, requiring fewer roof trusses. Trusses can be spaced as much as 12 feet apart, which allows for large open cathedral ceiling space. The insulated panels are so effective that Bonnie says the roof panels keep their attic space as cool as the living space. Anchored to the roof exterior are 26 solar panels. The installation included a second electric meter. The house is connected to the power grid and Bonnie does buy power to spin their washer and dryer as well as anything else you might want to plug into the wall on a cloudy day. This is how it works. They do not have a stockpile of batteries to maintain. They simply have the solar panels hooked into their electric breaker box. The house draws power first from the solar panels and anything required above that output is drawn from the grid. The second meter comes into play when the sun is out nice and bright while Bonnie and Ronnie are at work. The second meter sends the generated solar power into the grid, and earns credit dollars from the power company to offset their monthly bill. The result is an average bill of about $80-$100 per month. The house climate control is generated by a geothermal
system. An installation process similar to that of digging a well. A network of water lines circulate in the ground’s constant temp of 55 degrees and are brought through the house hvac where the heat is condensed in the winter without a lit flame or burning of fossil fuels. Electricity is used in the process. That heat is also sent to Bonnie’s brick lined water heater. Brick lined for better retention of heat. Summer air conditioning is a straightforward process of taking that 55 degree ground water and circulating it to cool air, again electricity is used for system and fan blower. The combined cost of the solar panels and geothermal system came to around $24,000. The Federal Government issued an $8,000 tax credit at the time. The result is a 50-60% monthly savings with a 9-10 year payoff period. After which point the cash savings really register. Bonnie’s favorite project, a genius concept, is the vegetable garden planting box that she personally built along with the back deck. Exacting carpenter she is. Bonnie alone built her deck with a customized detail of a cross, which functions as welcome threshold to the door. The planting box resides approx. 15 feet from the back door at chair rail height. Simple steps away rather than the raised box or garden that we square out hoping for the best sun, yet off our daily path and radar. Bonnie built the box as a self-watering sub-irrigated garden box. The roots of the plants remain in water for perpetual growth and care while they are away from home. The box billows with lush foliage of tomatillos, yellow squash, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and mint. Bonnie’s eyes brighten and she smiles when she talks about the ease of walking to the edge of her porch to pick mint for her tea everyday. I asked Bonnie Holton , who has now worked with the church for 37 years, what being an Episcopalian meant to her. What was it that she felt was wonderful about the Episcopal church. She said it was the environment of worshiping without turning the brain off, and worshiping in a space that truly welcomes all. On a personal level, the paradigm which she follows and promotes, is that of being a good steward, the Christian call to be responsible with all of what God has given us. Let us all be thoughtful of our steps on the path, our costs, our assets, our balance. -Ben Harper
system. An installation process similar to that of digging a well. A network of water lines circulate in the ground’s constant temp of 55 degrees and are brought through the house hvac where the heat is condensed in the winter without a lit flame or burning of fossil fuels. Electricity is used in the process. That heat is also sent to Bonnie’s brick lined water heater. Brick lined for better retention of heat. Summer air conditioning is a straightforward process of taking that 55 degree ground water and circulating it to cool air, again electricity is used for system and fan blower. The combined cost of the solar panels and geothermal system came to around $24,000. The Federal Government issued an $8,000 tax credit at the time. The result is a 50-60% monthly savings with a 9-10 year payoff period. After which point the cash savings really register. Bonnie’s favorite project, a genius concept, is the vegetable garden planting box that she personally built along with the back deck. Exacting carpenter she is. Bonnie alone built her deck with a customized detail of a cross, which functions as welcome threshold to the door. The planting box resides approx. 15 feet from the back door at chair rail height. Simple steps away rather than the raised box or garden that we square out hoping for the best sun, yet off our daily path and radar. Bonnie built the box as a self-watering sub-irrigated garden box. The roots of the plants remain in water for perpetual growth and care while they are away from home. The box billows with lush foliage of tomatillos, yellow squash, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and mint. Bonnie’s eyes brighten and she smiles when she talks about the ease of walking to the edge of her porch to pick mint for her tea everyday. I asked Bonnie Holton , who has now worked with the church for 37 years, what being an Episcopalian meant to her. What was it that she felt was wonderful about the Episcopal church. She said it was the environment of worshiping without turning the brain off, and worshiping in a space that truly welcomes all. On a personal level, the paradigm which she follows and promotes, is that of being a good steward, the Christian call to be responsible with all of what God has given us. Let us all be thoughtful of our steps on the path, our costs, our assets, our balance. -Ben Harper
