Marianne Santo, an integral member of Wakefern’s produce division for 38 years and the first woman president of the Eastern Produce Council, died on September 24.
Affectionately known as the “Watermelon Queen” for her skillful management of that important summer category, Santo was admired for being an industry pioneer, a tough but fair negotiator and, more recently, a mentor to younger generations of produce buyers.
“Marianne was first and foremost a mentor and friend to many,” said Ross Farnsworth, vice president of Wakefern’s produce division. “She was also very active in being a positive voice in the produce industry and an advocate for our Wakefern family members. She will be greatly missed.”
Santo began her Wakefern career in 1985 in the produce store services department and was tapped within a year to join the buying team. On her path to becoming a senior category manager, she secured high-volume items in key categories; navigated countless crop-impacting storms, both literal and figurative — “I’ve lived on the Weather Channel for 35 years,” she once said—and forged close working bonds with teammates, vendors, members and retail associates alike.
Santo was aware of her role as an industry barrier breaker. As a woman in a field then dominated by men, she was a self-described “novelty” when she attended her first Eastern Produce Council (EPC) meeting. She rose up the organization’s ranks, co-chairing the Women’s Leadership Committee and others before becoming director, vice president and, in 2019, the EPC’s first woman president.
A graduate of Douglass College, Santo was also a Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) honoree, winner of the Shelby Report’s Women of Influence in the Food Industry Award, a member of the International Advisory Board for United Fresh and frequently participated as a “Thought Leader in the Produce Industry” at the New York Produce Show.
Along with her husband, Carmine, Santo is survived by her sisters, brother-in-law, nieces and nephews.