Craig Stanley for NJ Assembly

About

Craig A. Stanley is a native of Newark and grew up in the city’s public housing. He is a graduate of Arts High School but completed his senior year of high school in Switzerland as an American Field Service Exchange Student Scholar. He is the father of 3 successful adult daughters and a son who is a sophomore at West Orange High School.

Mr. Stanley attended the University of Hartford and earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He was awarded a National Urban Fellowship through which he received his Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College. He served as Western Regional Manager at Wang Laboratories in Lowell, Massachusetts where he was responsible for the administration of 320 million dollars in computer sales and service contracts.  He returned to Newark, New Jersey to give back to his community and put his talents to use at Urban Data Systems, Inc., the only minority owned computer forms manufacturing company in the nation at that time.

Mr. Stanley has been a professor of American government and sociology for 20 years at Essex County College. Professor Stanley has served as a volunteer with the New Jersey YMCA Youth and Government Program through three decades. As a high school student, Craig participated in the YMCAs citizenship programs and knew the value of programs that helped nurture young leaders. He served as a member of the Mid-Atlantic YMCA’s Board of Trustees. He also served as State Director of the New Jersey YMCA Black Achievers Program which was administered by the Newark YMCA where he also served as Director of Corporate Programs.

His introduction into the public sector came when Craig was tapped to be the Assistant to the Speaker Pro Tem of the General Assembly and staff the Assembly Veterans and Military Affairs Committee for the New Jersey General Assembly during Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He later became a legislative policy analyst for the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, and the Legislative Liaison for the Board of Public Utilities.

Craig A. Stanley was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly on November 7, 1995, to represent the 28^th Legislative District in Essex County and served for 12 years before leaving office on January 8, 2008.

Assemblyman Stanley Chaired the Assembly Education Committee and Co-chaired the Joint Committee of the Public Schools, a bicameral committee which oversees school construction and education reform implementation.  

Assemblyman Stanley distinguished himself in the legislature as a strong advocate for education reform. He continues to be a strong voice for the empowerment and engagement of parents and the implementation of programs that are designed to address the disadvantages of poverty. His legislative initiatives have included revamping New Jersey’s school quality assessment process, the Quality Single Accountability Continuum Act (QSAC). QSAC provides for evaluation, monitoring and intervention into local school districts by the State Department of Education. Assemblyman Stanley also was a prime sponsor of the law that created the Amistad Commission which is charged with the development and implementation of an American History curriculum for all grades that is inclusive of African American contributions. Another key legislative initiative of Assemblyman Stanley’s was New Jersey’s Anti-predatory Lending Law which is one of the toughest and most effective in the nation; and, New Jersey’s 2005 Law to Increase the State’s Minimum Wage and Establish the Minimum Wage Commission which ensures timely review and recommendation for adjustments in the wage commensurate with the cost of living.

Assemblyman Stanley was a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) “No Child Left Behind” Task Force, NCSL’s Blue Ribbon Commission of Higher Education and NCSL’s Immigration Task Force. In addition, he served on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Executive Committee of the National Black Conference of State Legislators. He also served as a member of the Education Steering Committee of the Eastern Region Conference of the Council of State Governments.

He has received several awards and acknowledgments, including, the Public Service Award by the United Clergy of the Oranges; the Achievement Award from Frontiers International; the Community Service Award from Seton Hall University Project 2000; The 100 Most Influential Award from City News Publishing Company; Community Service Awards from the Newark, Jersey City & Irvington Chapters of the NAACP and has been awarded and recognized by The College Board and Education Testing Service for his leadership in education policy. He was also the recipient of the New Jersey State Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission’s 2008 Drum Major for Justice Award.

Mr. Stanley is a former administrator for New Jersey Institute of Technology pre-college programs and statewide competitions designed to improve outcomes and achievement of students in STEM and leadership related curricula.  Mr. Stanley is a faithful member of Saint James A.M.E. Church in Newark, NJ where he serves on the Steward Board. Most recently, Mr. Stanley was tapped to Chair the Social Action Network Ministry at Saint James A.M.E. Church in Newark, NJ by The Rev. Ronald L. Slaughter, Senior Pastor.