Armika Berkley (’11)

Prior to enrolling at CBU, Armika Berkley earned her Registered Medical Assistant diploma at Remington College in Memphis in 2005 and went to work at Christ Community Health Services, where she provided a variety of healthcare and administrative services over the next decade. In 2007, she also earned a diploma in Emergency Medical Services at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Armika enrolled at CBU as an evening student majoring in Applied Psychology and graduated in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts. At the 2012 Commencement Ceremony, she was honored with the Christine Ladd Franklin Award for Outstanding Non-traditional Psychology Major, which recognizes the accomplishments of nontraditional students pursuing educational goals while being devoted to family and work. As a “lifelong learner, she then graduated with a Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Behavioral Studies and Research from Capella University in 2014.

In 2015, Armika transitioned to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, where she worked in Patient Satisfaction & Engagement and served as Social Health & Charity Care Programs Administrator for several years. But her desire to expand her knowledge and ability to serve others in the healthcare sector led her to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she enrolled in the Executive Doctor of Science (DSc) in Healthcare Leadership program and took a position at Green Mercy Health Services, the largest indigent care provider in Alabama, as Director of Operations and Chief Executive Officer. While there, she was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the Birmingham Business Journal.

Today, Armika is the Regional Vice President and Director of Strategy and Operations of Kaiser Permanente, an integrated managed care consortium based in California. With nearly 20 years of experience in business strategy, public health, and healthcare operations, she has also spearheaded and co-authored published results of community-based research highlighting the value of intentional consumer engagement and organizational collaboration. Making her home in San Francisco Bay Area, Armika is married with four children, two of them in college, and one is a recent graduate of Xavier University of New Orleans.

Armika has been actively involved with her community throughout her career, no matter where it took her. She has volunteered with the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization and the American Diabetes Association and served on the CBU Career Services Alumni Advisory Board for several years. As a member of Delta Sigma Theta, she has been active in the sorority’s civil rights and social action efforts. She currently serves on the executive board of 4Cs of Alameda County. This nonprofit organization provides access to affordable, quality childcare by connecting families and providers to a wide network of family-focused resources, financial assistance programs, and community partners. She also serves on the board of the Hope and Heal Fund, a state-based fund that invests in a public health, racial equity, and community-based approach to prevent gun violence in California.

I loved my experience at CBU. As a result of both my life growing up in Memphis and my experience at CBU, I have committed my life to using my position to advance opportunity for equity. especially in the poor and marginalized communities.