JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. has named a new retail operations head and said its marketing chief is leaving the company, with his duties to be divided among several executives going forward.

Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. has named a new retail operations head and said its marketing chief is leaving the company, with his duties to be divided among several executives going forward.

The Southeast supermarket chain said Wednesday that Laurence Appel, who joined Winn-Dixie in 2002 and formerly served as general counsel, corporate secretary and senior vice president of human resources, has been appointed senior vice president of retail operations, effective immediately. In addition, the company said Dan Portnoy, senior vice president and chief merchandising and marketing officer, has resigned.

Appel replaces Frank Eckstein, who Winn-Dixie said has retired from his current role but will continue to serve in an advisory capacity until the end of fiscal 2011. Appel will report to chairman and chief executive officer Peter Lynch.

"Larry has tremendous experience with Winn-Dixie and in retail in general, having worked at Winn-Dixie for nearly a decade and at Home Depot prior to that," Lynch said in a statement. "I am confident he will make a very positive impact on the management of our stores as we continue to execute our strategic initiatives and lay the foundation for our future growth."

To take over Appel’s former responsibilities, Winn-Dixie has named Timothy Williams as general counsel and Anita Dahlstrom-Gutel as senior vice president of human resources. Williams, who joined Winn-Dixie in 2003, formerly served as assistant general counsel. Joining the retailer about two years ago, Dahlstrom-Gutel previously served as vice president of corporate human resources and talent acquisition/management. Both executives will report to Lynch.

Meanwhile, Portnoy’s duties are slated to be handled by Mary Kellmanson, group vice president of marketing; Matt Gutermuth, group vice president of nonperishables, pricing and corporate brands; James Smits, group vice president of perishables; and John Fegan, vice president of pharmacy. All four will report directly to Lynch.

"I want to thank both Frank and Dan for their many contributions and especially their efforts to build very capable teams that are well-prepared to support the company as we execute our strategic initiatives and drive the business forward," Lynch stated. "On behalf of the entire company, we wish them all the best."

Winn-Dixie Stores operates 484 supermarkets, including 379 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.