Christina Hollingsworth, IT Leader and Green Home Builder
Name: Christina Hollingsworth
Occupation:
IT Leader
Place of Residence: Midlothian, Va.
Background
and Personal History: Christina
is the oldest of eight children, born and raised in the Pocono Mountains, Pa.
She grew up around family members who ran local farms and learned to appreciate
sustainable living, gardening and supporting the local economy. As the first member of the family to go to
college, Christina pursued her degree at Lafayette College, working at the
school’s computer lab for work-study and after graduation, she joined the information technology (IT) ranks during the Y2K scare.
To
further her education in the IT sector, Christina received her Masters in the
Management of Technology from the Wharton Business School and University of
PA. Shortly thereafter, Christina and
her husband Ryan relocated to Midlothian, Va., where she started her career
with General Electric. In 2005, they started a family
and Ryan took on the most challenging job as a stay-at-home dad for seven
years. Since having children, Christina
and Ryan have slowly been building their homestead with herb and vegetable
gardens, composting, and chicken farming as a family hobby for the past 4
years.
In the meantime, Christina and
her Ryan searched for the perfect local property and researched green
home design and homesteading. Christina
is inspired by well-known authors Barbara Pleasant, Dan Chiras and Sarah
Susanka, as well as the local business owners of Off Grid in Midlothian, Va.
Current
Projects: In March
2012, Christina and Ryan purchased 13 acres in Powhatan County. As of January 2013, they have completed their
green home design phase and are working on site planning. They plan to break ground in March to start
the build phase of their custom dream green home and homestead.
Other Fun
Facts: Christina
and Ryan have two children, a daughter age 7, and a son age 4. The kids are excited about exploring the 13-acre wilderness, a new ‘earth friendly’ ranch home and expanding their
homestead to include fruit trees and bushes, rabbits, and more chickens. Their daughter is looking forward to an “egg
stand” for the neighborhood as her first entrepreneurial experience. Ryan and Christina both work full-time and
are taking their time to enjoy the design and building experience at the pace
which works for their family.
