Craig Schlosser, an Icon of Change in the United States of America

Icons of Change

Icons of Change International Awards 2025 Craig Schlosser President, First Night Morris County Former President & CEO, Morris County Economic Development Alliance Former Vice President, Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce Community & Economic Development Leader | Strategic Partnership Builder | Cultural Advancement Champion Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities Changemaker for Community Connectivity and Inclusive Economic Growth (United States)  Craig Schlosser has spent more than a decade orchestrating high-impact initiatives that create thriving communities and resilient local economies. His leadership spans cultural development, tourism growth, and public-private collaboration—mobilizing strategic ecosystems designed to elevate quality of life, expand opportunity, and strengthen regional identity.  As President of First Night Morris County, he champions access to creativity as a community growth engine—advancing one of New Jersey’s largest New Year’s Eve arts celebrations while driving year-round engagement through FNM365. His mission: ensure that the arts are not a luxury, but a launchpad for social cohesion, economic vibrancy, and shared experiences that unite diverse populations.  During his service as President & CEO of the Morris County Economic Development Alliance, Craig led coordinated development strategies that unlocked new pathways for tourism, innovation, and local business support. By bridging government, industry, and community partners, he strengthened the county’s future-readiness and positioned the region for sustained economic momentum.  Previously, his portfolio at the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce advanced workforce engagement, digital innovation, and business resilience—empowering enterprises of all sizes to scale, connect, and thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. His work has earned recognition such as New Jersey Meetings + Events’ “Best CVB in Town/Area” and Jersey’s Best 40 Under 40—validating his reputation as a catalyst for advancement.  Craig’s credentials reflect not only operational talent but a people-centered philosophy: stronger partnerships build stronger communities. By aligning arts, culture, and commerce, he continues to create environments where innovation flourishes, collaboration accelerates, and neighborhoods move confidently toward shared prosperity.  For his transformative contributions to community development, cultural accessibility, and dynamic regional growth, Craig Schlosser is honored as a 2025 Icon of Change for Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.  #IconsOfChange #CraigSchlosser #SDG11 #SustainableCommunities #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #ArtsForAll #CulturalInnovation #PublicPrivatePartnerships #LeadershipInAction #Changemaker #GlobalChangemakersAcademyAwards #InternationalCouncilOfChangemakers #RecognizingVisionEmpoweringTransformation

Transcript

00:00Hi, my name is Craig Slosher, and I'm honored to be a 2025 Icon of Change International

00:07Award recipient.

00:09Before I continue, I want to take a moment and I want to thank both Justin and Martin

00:13for their support throughout the process.

00:16This year's core themes are peace and trust.

00:19Peace and trust closely relates to two core areas that over the past decade I've had

00:24the privilege to include in my professional career, and that's hope and unity.

00:29Hope is the belief that there's a better tomorrow, and unity is the belief that we can achieve

00:34that together.

00:35Both peace and trust are based on mutual respect, as are hope and unity.

00:41These core concepts drive the positive change in our community that we all strive as leaders

00:45to make each and every day.

00:48About eight years of my career, I spent time at the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of

00:53Commerce as their vice president.

00:54During that time, I got a chance to do so many amazing things and work with so many fantastic

00:58people.

00:59One thing that always stands out to me is how we handle the challenge of COVID-19 and our

01:03ability to quickly pivot and put together programs such as Open for Business.

01:08Open for Business was a program that inspired exactly that, hope and unity during a time

01:12where we weren't really sure what was going to go on, but we were going to figure out how

01:15to get through it together.

01:17Every day, the daily update started your day with a positive quote, a tradition which continues

01:22to this day.

01:23News, resources, anything you needed to let you know that there was stuff there to help

01:28you was there.

01:29But it was the ability of all of us to work together every day through a newsletter, through

01:33webinars, through programs, through applying for grants and sharing best practices, talking

01:38with other stakeholders, both private and public.

01:41And the fact that we were going to figure this out and we were going to come at it better

01:44and stronger.

01:45And that's exactly what we did.

01:47After that, I had the opportunity to go back to my hometown community and take on the role

01:51as president and CEO of the Morris County Economic Development Alliance and Tourism Bureau.

01:56Seventy-five days into my term, we acquired the Tourism Bureau coming out of a pandemic.

02:03It was a rapid change and a rapid shift, which was one of the most exciting things I got to

02:08do, but also quite stressful.

02:11It was through the ability to work together with amazing partners and teams and board members

02:15that we took a very small organization and brought in well over a million dollars within

02:19two years, achieving new heights and building an ecosystem that I was so proud to do that

02:25brought economic development, community development, tourism, workforce development, and a myriad

02:31of other government and private sources together to make a real meaningful impact.

02:36It was the alliance and the unity and the hope that it brought together, where creating opportunity

02:41together was our mission every day, was so exciting and so rewarding for me.

02:46But nothing stands out to me more over the past decade than First Night, Morris County, and

02:50FN365, which is our year-round community impact program.

02:54First Night, a long-standing New Year's Eve event in Marstown, New Jersey, is the largest

03:00in the Mid-Atlantic, bringing thousands each year.

03:03But what makes First Night so special is how we do it.

03:06It's about bringing a community together year-round to bring us together on New Year's Eve, but

03:10it's that sense of unity that is so special.

03:14First Night touches thousands, but its impact touches hundreds of thousands.

03:19For me, the greatest opportunity that I've had is the ability to have a chance to serve

03:24and serve you and be better together every day working with each and every one of you.

03:29This award isn't my award.

03:31It's our award.

03:32And to that, I say thank you to each and one of you that has helped me be able to achieve

03:36this and what we have achieved together, because there's no I in team, and while it may sound

03:41corny, it's us as leaders that come up with vision and inspire those to achieve it.

03:47But it's doing the work and working with you that inspires us.

03:51So I thank you for inspiring me, for being a part of the journey, and what we can continue

03:56to do to be better together, and what hope and unity can do to drive making stronger and

04:01better communities.

04:02Thank you again for the award.

04:04Thank you again for the opportunity, and have a fantastic and happy and safe New Year's.

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