Moving to reclaim its role as the country’s pre-eminent voice on civil rights, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People named a new president on Saturday and took steps to allow for more effective lobbying.

Derrick Johnson will become the organization’s president and chief executive, a role he has filled in an interim capacity for several months. And the group will change its tax exemption status from 501(c)(3) to 501(c)(4), becoming a social welfare group instead of a charity.

The announcements came five months after the N.A.A.C.P. dismissed its former president and promised a “systemwide refresh,” a decision made in the face of increasing racial tensions — and amid concerns that the century-old organization was losing ground to younger, more dynamic social justice groups.

In a phone call with reporters on Saturday, Mr. Johnson, 49, said the appointment was “an honor.”

“In this role, I have an opportunity to work with over 2,200 units across the country to ensure that they are effective advocates, to ensure that they have a strong voice, to ensure that the association can really have an impact on public policy and increase the quality of life for all citizens,” he said.