Henry Bonges for Vermont House

I grew up in central Illinois farm country. My father was a union carpenter who was also self-employed and primarily built houses, and I learned early the value of practical, hands-on work. I put myself through college by working construction and at a Kraft factory, along with support from Naval ROTC and academic scholarships.

After graduating from the University of Illinois, I chose to move to Vermont in 1981 to begin my engineering career with IBM. Vermont has been my home ever since. In Milton, my father and I built the home where my wife, Mickey, and I raised our two children and still live today. Mickey is a retired special education teacher, and our family’s roots in this community run deep.

My career at IBM began in 1981, and today my work focuses on microprocessor design. Over the years, my experience has included manufacturing engineering, quality control, process development, marketing, and memory chip design. Along with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, my education includes a master’s degree in engineering and an MBA from the University of Vermont, a master’s degree in theology from Saint Michael’s College, and an ALM in Sustainability and Environmental Management from Harvard Extension School.

Community service has been an important part of my life in Vermont. Over the years, that service has included work with the Milton Town Energy Committee, the Milton Planning Commission, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Chittenden Solid Waste District, Green Mountain Transit, hospice volunteering, and the Community Justice Center, where I taught math to inmates through the Vermont Department of Corrections. I currently serve as Vice Chair of the Milton Library Board of Trustees.

I am running for the Vermont House because Milton and Georgia deserve a strong, practical voice in Montpelier. Vermont families are facing real challenges, including the cost of housing, rising school and health care costs, energy costs, and decisions that too often focus on short-term fixes instead of long-term solutions.

My background in engineering, planning, energy, sustainability, and public service has taught me to look closely at problems, connect the dots, and work with others toward solutions that are both practical and forward-looking. Vermont can make decisions that lower costs, strengthen communities, protect our rights, and leave the state we love stronger for future generations.

Affordable housing, strong public schools, accessible health care, renewable energy, and responsible long-term planning are the issues that shape everyday life in Milton and Georgia. They affect whether families can stay here, children can thrive here, and our communities can remain healthy, welcoming, and resilient.

I am running to be a proud, strong voice for Milton and Georgia in Montpelier.