Sheila Oliver Foundation Honors Atlantic Cape’s Barbara Gaba, Others at Luncheon
Dr. Barbara Gaba, president of Atlantic Cape Community College. Photo courtesy of Atlantic Cape Community College.
AC JosepH Media
CLIFTON — Atlantic Cape Community College President Dr. Barbara Gaba was honored with several other women last month during the second annual Sheila Y. Oliver Legacy Brunch at the Valley Regency.
The July 26 event was put on by the Sheila Y. Oliver Foundation, formerly the Sheila Y. Oliver Civic Association. The longtime New Jersey legislator, who was New Jersey’s first Black Lieutenant Governor, died in office in 2023.
More than 350 guests recognized Gaba, the first Black and female president of Atlantic Cape, and others for their service. Gaba has been president of ACCC since 2017 and has received numerous awards for her leadership at the college.
Gaba and the other awardees were recognized for “their extraordinary work in their communities, carrying forward Sheila Y. Oliver’s legacy of compassionate action,” event organizers said in a statement.
“Her dedication and commitment to our community and to New Jersey shined through in everything she did. She touched the lives of so many, as she advocated for improving the lives of the residents of New Jersey,” Gaba said of Oliver, according to ACCC. “Each of us has been touched in some way by Sheila Oliver’s legacy.
“Let us continue to honor that legacy in the actions that we do every day, while continuing the work that she did for our communities. She was more than just a presence in our lives; she was a force. Her kindness, her determination, her laughter and her wisdom have left a legacy that none of us will ever forget. What she left behind are more than just memories; it is a path forward. We honor her not just in words today, but in the way we choose to live, in how we treat each other and in how we continue to speak her name with pride.”
The other awardees included:
- Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter (D-35)
- Linda J. Schwimmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
- Estina Baker, Democratic Strategist
- Tai Cooper, Chief Community Development Officer, NJEDA
- Dr. Pamela B. Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Communities In Cooperation, Inc.
- Sara Peña, Director of External Affairs, PSEG
- Dr. Cynthia Samuel, School Health Consultant, National Association of School Nurses
- Monica Slater Stokes, Managing Director, Corporate and Government Affairs, United Airlines
“Each of today’s nine awardees is being recognized for leading with the kind of integrity, compassion, and tenacity that Sheila so deeply admired and modeled every day,” said Gov. Phil Murphy said at the event, according to the foundation.
“Your work carries forward her mission to deliver lasting progress, and it proves that Sheila’s legacy isn’t behind us — it’s alive and well in the work still shaping New Jersey today.”
New Jersey native and actress Tisha Campbell delivered the keynote address that drew on her home state roots.
“I am a proud daughter of Newark,” said Campbell. “I grew up in a time where our city was a completely underserved city. But our amazing city, with its amazing people, had a secret weapon. We had leaders like Sheila Oliver who fought tirelessly for us. She was a true trailblazer for us, whose courage, vision, and commitment to public service inspired her constituents and communities.”
The Event sponsors included:
- United Airlines
- PSEG
- New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
- New Jersey Redevelopment Authority
- Faye Flavaz
- Healthcare Foundation of The Oranges
- Johnson & Johnson
- New Jersey Economic Development Authority
- North Jersey Federal Credit Union
- Princeton Strategic Communications
- Parker Health Group
- Rutgers University-Newark, Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America
The Sheila Y. Oliver Foundation is a private, non-profit, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, committed to empowering underserved communities to achieve both economic and social success, as well as educating and developing young women of color who are interested in government, public policy, and community organizing. Visit www.sheilaoliver.com for more information.
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