GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General Corp. has named Gregory Sparks executive vice president of store operations, with responsibility for all of the chain’s more than 9,900 stores.

Dollar General Corp. has named Gregory Sparks executive vice president of store operations, with responsibility for all of the chain’s more than 9,900 stores.

He reports directly to chairman and chief executive officer Rick Dreiling and serves on the company’s real estate and store development committee.

Sparks most recently served as president of the Seattle division for Safeway Inc., a role he had held since 2001. During the course of a 34-year career at Safeway, Sparks rose through a succession of managerial roles of increasing responsibility, including merchandising manager, category manager, divisional director of merchandising and divisional vice president of marketing.