EXECUTIVE CHANGES: KROGER TAPS CUMMINS TO BE FOOD 4 LESS PRESIDENT...SAFEWAY NAMES TWO DIRECTORS AS REPLACEMENTS...MEYER MIGRATES NORTH TO WHOLE FOODS MID-ATLANTIC

KROGER TAPS CUMMINS TO BE FOOD 4 LESS PRESIDENT

ns has been named president of Food 4 Less Stores, Compton, Calif. He succeeds Dave Hirz, who was named president of Ralphs Supermarkets, also based in Compton, last month. Cummins was formerly group vice president and general manager of the Food 4 Less Midwest division, based in Burbank, Ill., overseeing the format's expansion into Illinois and Indiana two years ago. Food 4 Less operates 137 price-impact warehouse stores under the Food 4 Less name in Southern California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana, and under the Foods Co banner in Northern California.

SAFEWAY NAMES TWO DIRECTORS AS REPLACEMENTS

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway here said it has named two new members to its board of directors, with a third new member expected to be selected later this year. The new members are Janet Grove, chairman and chief executive officer, Federated Merchandising Group, New York, and corporate vice chairman of Federal Department Stores; and Mohan Gyani, former president and CEO of AT&T Wireless Mobility Group. They have replaced James Greene and George Roberts, both members of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., the New York-based investment group that formerly owned a majority share of Safeway stock. A third board member -- Hector Ley Lopez, general director of Casa Ley, a Mexico-based chain in which Safeway owns a 51% interest -- will resign from the board later this year "as soon as we can find a suitable replacement," a Safeway spokeswoman told SN. Safeway said in May that Greene, Roberts and Ley Lopez would resign from the chain's nine-member board to make room for independent directors.

MEYER MIGRATES NORTH TO WHOLE FOODS MID-ATLANTIC

AUSTIN, Texas -- Whole Foods Market here last week said it named Ken Meyer president of the Mid-Atlantic region. Meyer joined the company in 1996, and has held various positions, including vice president of the Southwest region. He most recently was president of the South region, a position he has held since March 2001. The change follows a series of executive shifts at the natural foods retailer, which recently created two new geographic divisions and re-aligned the leadership of several of regions.