Ben Jealous, who became the NAACP's youngest-ever president at the age of 35, said Sunday that he was stepping down at the end of the year in order to spend more time with his family.
Jealous said the constant travel his job required had taken a toll on his family life and he wanted to spend more time with his wife, attorney Lia Epperson, and their two young children, USA Today reported.
A good leader knows when to step up & when to step down. After 5 years leading the @NAACP, I’ve decided to move on at the end of this year— Ben Jealous (@BenJealous) September 8, 2013
Under the stewardship of the the now 40-year-old Jealous, both the NAACP donor base and revenue grew, the paper reported.
“Under his leadership, the NAACP has built a highly competent staff that will carry our mission forward and meet the civil rights challenges of the 21st century," Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the NAACP board of directors said in a statement Sunday. "Our board, staff and volunteer leaders throughout the country deeply appreciate his sacrifice, and will continue to implement our game-changing goals for the next half century that include the restoration of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, implementing Trayvon’s Law, bolstering civic engagement efforts and ensuring our community is enrolled in the Affordable Care Act exchanges.”
Jealous will stay on through Dec. 31, 2013, the NAACP said.