PEOPLES TURNING TO CAREER EMPLOYEE DAVID EISENBERG AS TOP OPERATING OFFICER

Peoples is turning top operational management responsibility over to a career long employee, David Eisenberg. The chain recently announced that Eisenberg is moving immediately to the position of exec VP and chief operating officer. Eisenberg, who has spent his entire career at Peoples, will oversee the chains marketing operations, pharmacy and distribution activities. He will report directly to Peoples Chairman, President and CEO Sheldon Fantle. Eisenberg, 49, came up through the ranks at Peoples, progressing to management and store operations and the department of marketing. "He became the vice president of marketing in 1979 and senior vice president one year later," Peoples said. Peoples also named Richard Barker, 51, senior VP-finance. He replaces Robert Arensmeyer, exec VP and chief financial officer, who announced his intention to retire in September. A certified public accountant, Barker comes to Peoples from the May department store chain, where he has been exec VP and chief administrative officer since 1983. Prior to working at May, he held management positions with the Wickes Companies, Hart-Marx Corp. and Household International. In another management move, Peoples announced the appointment of Jeffrey Fantle, 39, as senior VP-operations. Son of the company's chairman and a registered pharmacist, Fantle has been president and chief operating officer of Peoples' Lane Drug division, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. He will replace Nicholas Simon, who will retire in September. The release notes that Fantle will remain in Toledo until August.