St. Joseph's Health Presents Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Community Education to Berkeley College Campus Operating Officer
Monday, February 2, 2026
SERVICE AWARD FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION
TO BERKELEY COLLEGE CAMPUS OPERATING OFFICER
Photo Caption: LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ, accepts the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for Community Education from St. Joseph’s Health. Six recipients were honored for promoting a legacy of service, equity, and action at a luncheon on Monday, January 19, 2026, at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.
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St. Joseph’s Health recently honored LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for Community Education. Six recipients were honored for promoting a legacy of service, equity, and action at a luncheon on Monday, January 19, 2026, at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.
According to Loretta Hall, Co-Chair, African, Black, Caribbean Diaspora Affinity Group, St. Joseph’s Health, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Education Award honors individuals who embody Dr. King’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of education, leadership, and service and use it to uplift communities and expand opportunity.
“Dr. King believed that ‘the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically,’ ” Hall said. “Ms. Gaines lives out this charge daily – through mentorship, leadership, advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation.”
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award honorees included:
Community Innovation Excellence Award
- Joseph’s Health Community Doula Program
- Shana Manradge, Owner, A Better Market
Community Education Award
- LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park
- Patricia May, Director, St. Joseph’s Health Sciences Library
Community Empowerment Award
- Rev. Donna Farrar Warren
- Theresa Johnston, Founder and CEO, Never Alone Again Domestic Violence Organization and Resource Center
Photo Caption: Ebony Riley (left) and Loretta Hall (right), Co-Chairs, African, Black, Caribbean Diaspora Affinity Group, present the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for Community Education to LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ. Six recipients were honored for promoting a legacy of service, equity, and action at a luncheon on Monday, January 19, 2026, at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.
Gaines, a resident of Linden, NJ, has served as Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park, since 2021. She has worked in higher education for more than 20 years, serving in roles in student affairs, residence life, retention, recruitment, engagement, and conduct.
“The mission of Berkeley College aligns closely with my own guiding principles, specifically the practice of empowerment through collaboration, service through communication, growth through meaningful connection, and commitment to ongoing reflection,” Gaines said during the event. “The vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. continues to inspire my commitment to advancing opportunity and empowerment within all communities.”
Gaines has been the recipient of numerous community awards, including a Leadership Excellence Award from Our Way to H.O.P.E. (Helping Out People Everywhere) in 2025 and the Executive Director’s Community Partnership Award from the Paterson Education Fund in 2024.
Gaines serves as Vice President of the Woodland Park Educational Foundation, on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Paterson and Passaic, and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans for 13 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.
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