May 19, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
The NAACP made what some consider a controversial move when it hired Benjamin Todd Jealous, president of the Rosenberg Foundation, as its chief executive officer.
The Baltimore Sun reports the organization’s 64-member board was split on the decision to appoint Mr. Jealous.
But the choice of Mr. Jealous, a 35-year-old activist with a background in newspaper publishing, is earning praise from Rosetta Thurman, director of development and special programs at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.
“The NAACP may have made one of their best strategic moves in recent years by hiring someone under 40 to lead the still relevant, but ailing civil-rights organization,” Ms. Thurman wrote on the blog Perspectives From the Pipeline.
Ms. Thurman says she believes Mr. Jealous’s appointment will probably help the NAACP appeal to a new generation of supporters — an area in which the civil-rights group has struggled recently.
“Hey, now maybe it’s time to renew your NAACP membership,” she writes.
What do you think? Does Mr. Jealous have the skills needed to lead the organization? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
