PLEASANTON, Calif. – Don Keprta, president of Safeway Inc.’s Chicago-area Dominick’s Finer Foods division, has resigned. Brian Baer, Dominick’s CFO and vice president of finance, will assume the role of acting president of Dominick’s.

“Don has contributed significantly to the Dominick’s stores,” said Steve Burd, chairman, president and CEO. “His commitment and innovation helped the stores evolve to best serve the Chicagoland customers. We are fortunate that he has produced a team that is prepared to continue to build on our current momentum.”


As president of Dominick’s since 2005, Keprta opened a number of new stores, expanded the lifestyle store remodels and improved store operating standards and metrics. As a corporate leader, he was also very active in the community, sitting on numerous committees and boards for charitable organizations in the Chicago area.

Baer joined Safeway in 2001 as vice president of finance for the Phoenix division. He became group vice president of finance planning & analysis at the company’s corporate office in 2004. He came to Dominick’s in his current role in 2008.

Prior to joining Safeway, Baer spent more than 12 years with the Marriott Corporation serving in various financial management positions in operations, corporate finance and real estate development.

Safeway Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,694 stores in the US and western Canada and had annual sales of $41.1 billion in 2010.