MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former Memphis city councilman Harold Collins has been appointed Shelby County government’s Chief Administrative Officer, effective June 1.
Collins will serve as the highest-appointed official in Shelby County and he will work closely with Mayor Lee Harris. In a press release, the Shelby County Mayor’s Office said Collins will work to implement policies that advance the public’s interests and will lead the day-to-day operations of all major divisions of the administration.
Collins currently serves as the deputy director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections. He developed and lead programs that prepared inmates to be reintroduced into society. He was also appointed by Mayor Harris to lead the Shelby County Office of Re-Entry and secured over $1,000,000 in grants to support workforce training and soft skills training for inmates.
Collins previously served on the Memphis City Council from 2008 to 2015, representing the people of Whitehaven. In addition, he served as council chairman in 2009. As a city councilman, he created more vocational-tech training programs for youth and young adults. Collins supported residents returning to the community after being incarcerated and fought to retain police and firefighters’ pensions.
