COLLEAGUE HIGHLIGHT: CHRISTIE PONCIANO

Meet Christie Ponciano: Colleague of The Morning Star Company since 1995

If you’ve ever spent time with Christie Ponciano, one thing becomes clear very quickly: she brings warmth, energy, and sincerity into every room she enters. Christie has a way of making people feel comfortable and genuinely seen, whether they’ve known her for years or just met her. As she retires at the end of this month after nearly three decades, what stands out most is not just how long she’s been part of Morning Star, but the unmistakable impact she’s had on everyone around her.

Christie began working at Morning Star in July of 1995, the same summer the Williams factory opened. A Williams native, she returned home a few years earlier to help care for her parents. With a background that included medical assisting, bookkeeping, and business studies, she stepped into accounting work with a strong sense of responsibility and a natural attention to detail. From the start, Christie approached her work with dedication, honesty, and pride in doing things the right way.

But Christie is far more than her role. She is an independent woman who has lived life fully and on her own terms. As one close colleague put it, Christie may be 80 years old, but she embodies someone decades younger in both spirit and lifestyle. She is vibrant, active, hardworking, and extremely honest — qualities that show up in everything she does. Her energy is contagious, her integrity unwavering, and her outlook refreshingly positive.

Family plays a central role in Christie’s life. She is a devoted mother and grandmother who makes frequent trips to Alameda to visit her daughter Jennifer, son-in-law Nate, and her two grandchildren, Owen and Soren. Time spent together is full of conversation, shared meals, and long-standing traditions. Christie especially treasures family holidays, which are filled with her mother’s favorite recipes and the comfort of familiar dishes passed down through generations.

Christie has also faced profound personal loss, including the tragic passing of her son Rick at a young age. Those experiences shaped her strength and empathy in quiet but powerful ways. They have given her a depth of understanding that carries into her relationships, making her both compassionate and resilient.

One of Christie’s greatest passions is gardening. She truly loves it and pours time and care into her garden whenever the season allows. After work, especially in the spring and summer, she can often be found tending to her plants, finding satisfaction in the process and pride in the results. Gardening isn’t just a hobby for Christie — it’s something she genuinely enjoys and looks forward to each day.

Christie also loves sports, with baseball at the top of her list, followed by basketball and football — though she admits she hates seeing players get hurt. She has long enjoyed traveling as well, having visited places like Italy, France, Scotland, and Ireland. The architecture and cathedrals left a lasting impression, especially the artwork and history woven into those spaces. Looking ahead, Christie is excited to travel more within the U.S., with plans that include Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., and wherever the next adventure may lead. If anyone ever needs a travel partner, Christie is always ready.

Another passion Christie looks forward to rediscovering in retirement is reading. She loves books and enjoys stories with happy endings, and she’s excited to finally have the time to dive back into reading again.

At work, Christie’s personality naturally shaped how she connected with customers and colleagues alike. She has a rare ability to be kind and caring while also being direct and firm when needed. She builds relationships effortlessly, remembering details, checking in, and creating trust simply by being herself. That approach earned admiration from customers and colleagues alike — not because it was strategic, but because it was genuine.

Over the years, Christie has built friendships that feel more like family. She shows up fully, gives generously, and leaves people better than she found them. As she steps into retirement, she leaves behind not just years of service, but countless relationships and memories that will endure.

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