Safeway Taps Griffith for Merchandising President

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway here said it has named Kelly Griffith to the new position of president of merchandising, with responsibilities for overseeing the company's entire perishable and non-perishable business units. In his new post, he will report to Diane Dietz, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, who said, “This newly created role will produce greater synergies between Safeway's perishables and non-perishables teams and will serve to enhance and strengthen the company's overall centralized merchandising function.” Griffith, who has been with Safeway for 30 years, was previously president and general manager of perishables at the corporate level after three years as president of the chain's Portland, Ore., division. Earlier, he was senior vice president, produce and floral, at the corporate level after serving as vice president, retail operations, for Safeway's Seattle division.

MILLS NAMED REASOR'S PRESIDENT

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Reasor's said last week it has named G. Allen Mills president and chief strategy officer, succeeding Jeff Reasor, who remains chairman and chief executive officer of the 15-store chain. Mills is a 41-year veteran of the company who most recently was vice president of operations and chief operating officer. Succeeding him in that post is Steve Lehto, who joined the company in 2009 as vice president of marketing after working at Safeway, H.E. Butt Grocery and Mi Pueblo. “Allen [Mills] has seen the company grow from the single-store operation he started in with my father in 1969 to our current chain of 15 stores,” said Reasor. “Allen has had his fingerprints on virtually all the plans of the company as it grew from the original small store in Tahlequah to the most recent addition of our 82,000-square-foot location in Jenks, Okla.”