The Baltimore-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has named former Verizon executive Bruce S. Gordon as its next president and CEO, the Baltimore Sun reports.

His appointment marks a departure from recent leaders, whose backgrounds were in social activism, politics, and the ministry, but Gordon said in a news conference after the vote that while he was a leader in corporate America for more than three decades, he has always been passionate about civil rights. He also suggested that he and board chair Julian Bond, with his front-lines civil-rights-era experience, would complement each other. While he did not unveil a specific platform, he stressed that the NAACP must strengthen its membership and improve its finances. He also said a cornerstone of his presidency would be a message of financial empowerment for people of color because "it gives people and groups and communities the social leverage to succeed."

Gordon retired from Verizon in December 2003, and former colleagues credit him with pushing diversity issues and helping to build the ranks of minorities in top positions at the company. Some observers suggest he has arrived at the NAACP during a time of upheaval and questions about its relevancy. His predecessor, Kweisi Mfume, left the organization amid allegations of sexual favoritism at the national office, which Mfume, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, has denied; in addition, the organization is fighting an IRS audit following allegations that Bond made politically partisan remarks about President Bush during the recent presidential campaign.

Some have questioned Gordon's lack of a civil rights background, but NAACP board members claim he will invigorate the group and that his management skills are precisely what it needs. "The NAACP is a historic organization, and it's easy to fall into the trap of doing things the same way," said board member Myisha Patterson. "Sometimes you need someone to step in with a new perspective and break the mold."