Harold Collins will be next chief administrative officer for Shelby County
Well-known Memphian Harold Collins will be the next chief administrative officer for Shelby County Government, with county Mayor Lee Harris announcing his appointment in a news release Thursday.
"Harold is dedicated to public service and has been an asset to Shelby County Government at the Office of Re-Entry and with the Division of Corrections," Harris said in the release. "His long history of service, integrity, and commitment to this community are what make him a great leader for this role.”
The chief administrative officer is the highest ranking appointed official in Shelby County Government, leading day to day operations of all major divisions.
Collins was a Memphis City Councilman from 2008 until 2015, representing Whitehaven and serving as council chair in 2009.
While on the council, he advocated for vocational technology opportunities for youth and young adults, supported residents returning to the community after incarceration and advocated for the retention of pension and health benefits for police and firefighters.
He also helped Southwest Tennessee Community College expand into Whitehaven.
Collins is currently deputy director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections. He previously led the Shelby County Office of Reentry, a position to which Harris named him in 2018.
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Before joining Harris' administration, Collins was vice president of community engagement at the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission for three years and special assistant to the district attorney general for twelve years.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve the residents of Shelby County, and I consider it a tremendous honor to have the confidence of Mayor Lee Harris," Collins said in the release. "I look forward to joining in pursuit of his goal to lift up Shelby Countians. I am excited to serve.”
Collins will replace Dwan Gilliom, who served as Harris' chief administrative officer from September 2019 to the present. Gilliom is leaving Shelby County Government to return to Allworld Project Management as a senior project manager.
Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at [email protected], 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Harold Collins named chief administrative officer for Shelby County
