Marty Gerencer

Marty Gerencer has an extensive history in the food services industry and a sincere passion for this work.  After years of diverse corporate experiences, she decided to follow her dream to develop her own business and become a voice for sustainable food systems.  Thus, the inception of Morse Marketing Connections, LLC, and the development of significant partnerships that have lead to successful transformations for her clients' organizations and initiatives.

The goals Marty has set for herself in her business include leading initiatives within the sustainable food systems sector to improve economic development, public policy, and consumer-based initiatives - ultimately building the nation's economy through increased sales of locally, sustainably grown foods.

Marty spent more than 20 years with Gerber Products Company, contributing to the company's success through various roles in marketing and within cross-functional business teams.  Her work included strategic partnership development with internal teams, external agencies, and other corporate partners.  These partnerships included marketing initiatives and new business development with supply chain teams for product launches meeting food safety and quality standards far exceeding federal regulations.

Experience comes in many valuable forms, and Marty adds to her knowledge of business development with a master's in management degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Michigan.  She has made it a point to align herself with others sharing her passion and is proud to partner with such clients as Gerber, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA), Michigan State University, MSU Product Center for Agriculture & National Resources, Michigan Apple Committee (MAC), Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM), Chestnut Growers Inc. (CGI) and di Bufala Company, LLC.  Her work also includes marketing and fund development roles for charities including Covenant Enabling Residences of Michigan (CERMI) and Catholic Charities West Michigan (CCWM).

She collaborated with MDA and MIFFS for Michigan's first statewide Buy Local Day, which has since expanded to Buy Local Week.  Marty also partnered with the Wallace Center to develop the National Good Food Network; a network that facilitates movement of more local food into scaled up wholesale channels.  Marty manages the Good Food Network for the Wallace Center.  She serves on advisory councils for the Michigan Alternative Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), Michigan State University Extension -- Muskegon County and the Food Bank Council of Michigan.  She was on the 2007 W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Wallace Center National Food & Society Conference planning committee.