ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Supervalu Inc. executive Duncan Mac Naughton has been elected to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores board of directors.

NACDS said Monday that Mac Naughton fills the position vacated by Kevin Tripp, who recently retired from Supervalu as executive vice president and president of the Retail Midwest division.

Mac Naughton, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Supervalu, will serve out the rest of the 2009-2010 term until April 2010, when the annual board elections are held at the NACDS Annual Meeting, the association said. His election to the board became effective earlier this month.

A supermarket industry veteran, Mac Naughton has served on Supervalu’s executive team since joining the company in 2006 with its acquisition of Albertsons, where he had served as executive vice president of merchandising. Before that, he held key leadership posts at H.E. Butt Grocery Co. and Kraft Foods.

Last month, Supervalu named Mac Naughton to head a new health and wellness division that the supermarket retailer and distributor is forming to better coordinate its pharmacy and health and beauty aids businesses as well as create a "total health and wellness experience" for customers.

"Duncan brings leadership and expertise on behalf of the supermarket segment, and we look forward to working together to advance pharmacy as the face of neighborhood health care and to add value to NACDS’ engagement in front-end activities," NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said in a statement.