Newly-named NAACP President Ben Jealous may be young but he should provide a strong bridge between the generations, said the head of the Atlanta chapter.

"He is a good choice," the Rev. R.L. White, president of the Atlanta NAACP, said Saturday. "They wanted to get a younger person who can bridge the gap between the young and the old. Many of the civil rights workers who were around in the civil rights era are going old. The younger people are saying we need to give a fresh approach to the problems we are facing today. This is an attempt to unify the young and the old. "

The 64-member board meeting in Baltimore is expected to announce later Saturday their next leader will be the youngest in the group's 99-year history. The primary tasks for Jealous, a 35-year-old former news executive, will be to address dwindling membership in the NAACP and raising money.

White, 64, said the focus of the NAACP needs to shift from racial matters to economic issues.

"I hope the new person will exemplify what the youth want and not just the old and [his leadership should] not be in such a radical way."