This year's event, which will take place on Thursday, July 27 at 12:30 p.m., will recognize: Herman J. Russell, chairman of the H.J. Russell & Company; Janice Bryant Howroyd, chairman and CEO of The Act 1 Group of Companies; and Dale LeFebvre, chairman and president of Converge.

The league's 96th annual conference will run from July 26 through July 29 at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year's theme is "Building Economic Power for Black America" and is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees from across the nation and around the region. UPS and The Coca-Cola Company will serve as conference co-chairs.

The business luncheon will be sponsored by The Bank of America, Freddie Mac, MetLife, Pitney Bowes and Shell Oil. Conference chairs Michael Eskew, chairman & CEO of UPS, and E. Neville Isdell, chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, will serve as the luncheon's keynote speakers.

"This year's business luncheon honors three of the best and brightest stars in the African American business community," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "All three of these corporate leaders aspire to the highest standards in their service to their own companies as well as their communities."

J. Herman Russell, a prominent civic leader and philanthropist in Atlanta, runs the fourth-largest construction company in the United States, with annual sales of more than $150 million. In 1957, Russell took over for his father who had died, expanding H.J. Russell & Company into a conglomerate that included general contracting, construction and program management, real estate development, and property and asset management.

The first black president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Russell has also served on the boards of Tuskegee University, the NAACP's Atlanta chapter and Citizens Trust Bank, among others. He is the founder of the Herman J. Russell Entrepreneurial Scholarship Foundation, a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award and a member of the Junior Achievement Atlanta Business Hall of Fame.

Janice Bryant Howroyd opened the first office of her temporary employment services company in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 1978 to cater to the entertainment industry. Since then, ACT 1 has expanded to 70 offices across the United States, employing 65,000 temporary employees and over 300 full-time staff. In addition to entertainment, the company serves the technical, clerical, engineering, accounting and managed services industries. In 2003, Black Enterprise magazine recognized the company, which posted over $518 million in sales, as the third largest African-American owned business nationwide.

A member of the International Women's Council, she has twice been named as one of the 50 Leading Woman Entrepreneurs of the World by the Star Group. She also serves on the boards of the Economic Development Corporation of the County of Los Angeles, the L.A. Urban League and the Women's Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, among others.

Dale LeFebvre, who earned both a J.D. and an M.BA. from Harvard University, wears two corporate hats. As managing partner of private equity firm Pharos Capital Partners, he oversees three funds worth over $450 million. He also serves as president and chairman of Converge, the world's largest global independent distributor of high-tech components, which posted $390 million in revenues in 2004. LeFebvre also made Black Enterprise's The Hot List: America 's Most Powerful Players Under 40 for 2005, sharing that distinction with Tyra Banks, Halle Berry and Sean "Diddy" Combs, among others.

The National Urban League conference is the premier networking, recruiting and issues conference for African American professionals nationwide. Highlights include: a career fair with over 100 Fortune 500 Companies and recruiters; top speakers in business, politics and academia; an exciting, interactive exhibit hall with five specialty zones; the "Influencer Summit" targeted at young professionals under 40; franchise and business development opportunities; career coaching; and interactive sessions on building wealth, entrepreneurship, health, education and entertainment.

More information about the National Urban League's 2006 Annual Conference registration, exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities is available on the League's website at www.nul.org or by calling (800-263-9926).