New York - May 17, 2006 - National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial announced today that the 37th annual conference of the Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) will be held June 7 - 10 at The Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The theme of the four-day conference is 2006 BEEP Leadership Conference - "Strengthening Communities. Developing Leaders." This year's conference is chaired by Philip Morris, Marriott and UPS.

Since 1969, BEEP participants from over 1000 corporations and government agencies have reached over 700,000 students on 84 campuses. BEEP's mission is to share learning experiences across generations, cultivate new leaders and inspire achievements "beyond the possible" through committed involvement and operational excellence.

The Black Executive Exchange Program brings successful African Americans from the public and private sector to historically black colleges and universities to share their experience and expertise with students and help them prepare for successful careers and future visiting professors.

"In our 37th year, BEEP has continued to provide students at our participating colleges and universities the opportunity to gain from the relationships and interactions with successful executives during classroom and individual sessions," said Morial. "BEEP brings together a unique partnership between corporations, government agencies, universities and individuals and it's an integral component of the League's civic engagement agenda."

Conference speakers include: Dr. Patrick Swygert, President, Howard University; Dr. Algeania Freeman, Former President, Livingstone College; Erica Hunt, President, Twenty First Century Foundation; Teri McClure, Senior Vice President of Legal and Compliance, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, UPS; Kenneth Jarvis, President, The March Foundation; Clifton Taulbert, President, The Freemount Corporation; Roslyn Brock, Director, System Fund Development, Bon Secours Health Systems and Vice-Chair NAACP Board of Directors; Stacey Adams, Chief Diversity Officer, Rolm & Haas; Juanita James, Vice President, Pitney Bowes, Emeka Okeani, President, Laundry Services, Sodexho, USA and Marsha Haygood, Former Senior Executive Vice President, New Line Cinema and National Urban League President Marc H. Morial.

Panels and workshops include: the Leadership Development Institute, sponsored by Philip Morris; Leaders Inspire session, sponsored by Rohm and Hass; Leaders Give, sponsored by Verizon; Leaders Learn, sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Leaders Compete, sponsored by Wal-Mart and Southwest Airlines; Leaders Lead, sponsored by Turner Construction Company; Leaders Create, sponsored by ExxonMobil; Leaders Present (Diversity Panel) and Leaders Reward, sponsored by Wal-Mart and Nissan.

Other conference highlights include: the 8th Annual Jerry Bartow Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament at the Mystic Dunes Golf Club, sponsored by United Parcel Service and a closing banquet and awards ceremony featuring National Urban League President Marc H. Morial as dinner speaker.

"Leadership is what defines the Black Executive Exchange Program, with leaders from all walks of life including business, technology, government, marketing and entrepreneurship-sharing knowledge with the future leaders of America," said Mark V. Monteverdi, BEEP Director. "We are extremely please and excited to welcome the numerous corporations and government agencies, faculty, students and participants who have continued their support of BEEP."

One of the major highlights of the conference is the student-case competition, in which students analyze, rationalize and argue cases before an audience of their peers. Three-member student teams from Hampton University, Claflin University, Alabama A&M University, Howard University, Tennessee State University, Elizabeth City State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Morris College, Florida Memorial University, Savannah State University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will compete for a $1000 cash prize each and roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines.

Established in 1969 through a grant from the Ford Foundation, BEEP was developed out of the need to expose black college students to role models in business and government, and enhance the curricula to colleges and universities. The program has several different formats to provide a variety of ways to engage students in career exploration and planning. They range from two-day seminars to semester-long courses for credit.

Programs include:

• Accredited Lecture Series (ALS) -a semester-long series integrated into an on-going course delivered by a different executive each week.

• Career Awareness and Planning Seminar (CAPS)-a two-day activity of career planning exercises, workshops, counseling and lectures that places emphasis on the selection of realistic career choices, the charting of career paths, resume preparation, and the development of good interviewing skills.

• Special Business Seminar (SBS) focuses on social and economic issues and topical events that affect business, industry and government.

• Innovations for Women uses a team of female executives and professionals to familiarize students with the traditional and non-traditional roles of women in the workforce.

# # #