The NAACP board of directors has chosen Ben Jealous, a former news executive and lifelong activist, as the organization’s next president and the youngest in its 99-year history.

The 64-member board met and voted in Baltimore and plans to formally announce its decision later Saturday.

NAACP national spokesman Richard J. McIntire confirmed the vote with The Associated Press early Saturday after the 8-hour closed door meeting.

Though he is not a politician, minister or civil rights icon, in Jealous the organization gets a young but connected leader familiar with black leadership and social justice issues. He takes the helm as the NAACP’s 17th president as the group grapples with dwindling membership and looks to boost its coffers.