International Businesswoman and Trailblazer to Speak at Graduation

Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and chief executive officer of The ActOne Group, will give the keynote address during graduation exercises at Edgecombe Community College on Friday, May 10.

Janice Bryant Howroyd, founder and chief executive officer of The ActOne Group and a native of Tarboro, will give the keynote address during Commencement at Edgecombe Community College on Friday, May 10.

Commencement begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in Keihin Auditorium on the Tarboro campus. For those unable to attend, a link to live streaming coverage of graduation exercises will be available online at edgecombe.edu/graduation.

ECC will graduate 496 students, who will receive 585 degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Thirty-seven of these students will be recognized for completing Adult High School Equivalency and Adult High School diplomas.

The ActOne Group is a multi-billion dollar, award-winning, international talent and talent technology enterprise with multiple divisions that serve all areas of employment. Founded by Howroyd in 1978, it now operates in 32 countries and offers staffing services via Apple One, A-Check Global, and AgileOne, among other platforms.

In May 2017, Howroyd was featured in Forbes Magazine as one of America’s Richest Self-made Women. CNBC recognized her that same year as the fourth of 14 black women who changed business and finance, placing her ahead of Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.

In 2017, Forbes named her as one of America’s Self Made Women, and Ebony Magazine placed her in their Power 100 Most Influential African American’s List that same year.

A resident of Los Angeles, California, Howroyd earned her bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University and is a member of its board of trustees.

She is an active philanthropist and a tireless advocate for education. Through scholarship funding and personal service, she supports several universities, including NC A&T, Harvard’s Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government, the University of Southern California, and California State University, San Bernardino.

Recognized by both past and current Presidential administrations, she was appointed and continues to serve as a U.S. Ambassador for the Department of Energy’s Minorities in Energy. She also sits on the U.S. International Trade Advisory Commission Board and the Board of Advisors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

For more information on ECC’s Commencement, please call 823-5166, ext. 255.