Atlantic County honors Atlantic Cape president Barbara Gaba; college outlines budget, grants and campus projects

The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners on an evening in May honored Dr. Barbara Gaba, president of Atlantic Cape Community College, and heard a detailed update on the college's finances, grant awards and planned capital projects.

Dr. Barbara Gaba told the board that a recent economic-impact study attributed roughly $315,000,000 in added income to Atlantic Cape and Cape May County annually, with alumni alone contributing about $260,000,000. She said the college's activities support more than 4,000 jobs across sectors including health care, government, retail, hospitality and real estate. Gaba also thanked the board for approving an Atlantic County appropriation for FY 2027 and noted several program and capital initiatives included in the college's materials to the board.

The college's FY 2027 packet presented an Atlantic County appropriation request of $6,900,000 and a collegewide budget of roughly $447,000,215 (a 2.4% increase over the prior year, said Gaba). She described Chapter 12 construction requests for improvements including about $2,000,000 in exterior and mechanical work at the Atlantic City campus and $22,000,000 in renovations and mechanical upgrades at the Mays Landing campus. Those Chapter 12 funds, Gaba said, would be used for HVAC, office redesign and other upgrades.

Gaba also summarized recent grants and new programs. She said Atlantic Cape received support from state and federal sources tied to workforce and innovation initiatives, and that the college secured funding to launch an industry-linked artificial intelligence and machine-learning pathway in the computer-programming curriculum this fall. Separately, she noted Atlantic Cape had been awarded more than $600,000 from the New Jersey Department of Labor for apprenticeship and career-education programs to prepare students for clinical medical assistant and EMT apprenticeship opportunities.

Commissioners praised Gaba's leadership and the college's regional role; the board adopted a resolution honoring her 40-year higher-education career and noting her retirement effective June 30, 2026. Several commissioners also referenced regional planning work and a desire to coordinate education and economic-development strategies as the county moves into budget season.

The resolution and Gaba's remarks closed with a brief presentation from the board. The board did not take separate action on specific Atlantic Cape capital requests during the presentation; related bond and capital ordinances affecting county and college capital spending were considered elsewhere on the agenda.