LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. announced that chief executive officer Ed Crenshaw will retire and be succeeded by president Todd Jones.

Ed Crenshaw

The employee-owned Southeastern food and drug retailer said Wednesday that Crenshaw is slated to step down on April 30, at which time Jones will become president and CEO.

Plans call for Crenshaw remain a member of the board of directors. Publix said the board has asked Crenshaw to accept the role of chairman, effective May 3, with current chairman Charlie Jenkins Jr. becoming chairman emeritus.

Crenshaw began his Publix career in 1974 as a front-service clerk. He was promoted to executive vice president of retail in 1994 and to president in 1996. He became CEO in 2008.

“The time has come to turn over the reins, and I am pleased to have a leader with the experience of Todd who is ready to take the next step in his career,” Crenshaw said in a statement. “I am confident in his ability to lead our company into the future and to continue to make Publix a great place for both customers and associates.”

Todd Jones

Jones’ Publix career also began as a front-service clerk, in 1980. He was named vice president of the Jacksonville Division in 2003 and promoted to senior vice president of product business development in 2005. He was appointed president in 2008.

“The board of directors is grateful for Ed’s 42 years of dedicated service to Publix, our associates and the communities we serve,” Jenkins stated. “He’s been a strong leader keenly focused on our continued growth in current and new markets and committed to the development and promotion of our associates. He’s provided invaluable insights to our industry, serving on numerous boards. The board looks forward to working with Ed to continue the success of Publix.”

Publix is North America’s 11th largest retail pharmacy operator by pharmacy count, with about 970 pharmacies in its 1,113 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. Its pharmacies are typically rated near the top in customer satisfaction among brick-and-mortar pharmacies in J.D. Power & Associates’ annual pharmacy study. Publix’s sales totaled $30.6 billion in 2014.