Arcadia : Vons Executive Eck Resigns

Dennis K. Eck resigned as president and chief operating officer of the Vons grocery store chain, the company announced.

Eck, who joined Vons as chief operating officer in 1990 and handled daily operations, said Monday that he had failed to meet his career goal.

“When I joined the company, I had set for myself a personal goal to become its chief executive officer within four years. Since it is apparent that this cannot be accomplished, it is time to move on,” he said, according to a Vons statement.

Roger E. Stangeland, chairman and chief executive officer of the Arcadia-based company, resumed his duties last month after recovering from heart bypass surgery.

“Dennis has served the company with great distinction, and I deeply regret his decision to resign,” Stangeland, 64, said in the statement.