Written By JR Robinson

Okay, so who is Harold Collins, really?

So let’s just start here: Harold Collins isn’t some overnight political brand; he’s a guy who has been doing the work in Shelby County for decades, long before campaign signs and slogans showed up. He grew up as the 11th child in a big family, watching his dad drive a cab for over 50 years and his mom hold the household together, and that “work hard, respect people, stay grounded in faith” mindset is basically the engine behind everything he does now.​

Today, he’s the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for Shelby County Government, which means he’s the person responsible for helping run the daily operations of Tennessee’s largest county—budget issues, public safety priorities, long-term planning, all of it runs across his desk in some form. So when he says “Experience Matters,” that’s not just a tagline; it’s his actual day job.​

What he’s already done for the community

So let’s walk through the receipts, because Harold’s impact didn’t start with this mayor’s race. His track record is built across city hall, crime reduction work, and neighborhood-level problem solving.​

• As a Memphis City Councilman (2007–2015), he pushed on issues like safer neighborhoods, better schools, and stronger public safety infrastructure, eventually serving as Council Chairman in 2010.​

• As Vice President of Community Engagement for the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, he helped lead Operation: Safe Community, a multi‑year crime reduction effort that brought more than 100 partner organizations together and contributed to double‑digit drops in major violent and property crime over time.​

• He later helped draft the third version of that crime‑fighting plan, focusing on violence in specific apartment complexes and working directly with property owners to be part of the solution, not just part of the problem.​

Outside of titles and job descriptions, he’s been the person in the room for community town halls, listening sessions, crime‑reduction meetings, and neighborhood conversations where people are talking about domestic violence, gangs, youth violence, reentry, blight—basically the real stuff families feel every single day. That matters, because it means he’s not guessing about what Shelby County residents are going through; he’s been the one saying, “Okay, let’s get your ideas into the plan.”​

How being CAO changes the game

Now, here’s where things get interesting. As CAO since June 1, 2022, Harold has been operating at the top of county government, helping manage key initiatives that affect everything from public safety to economic development and education. So he’s seeing county government from the inside—what works, what’s broken, and where the bottlenecks really are.​

This gives him a couple of big advantages:

• He understands how to move ideas from “good concept” to “funded, staffed, and implemented policy,” because that’s literally his daily work.​

• He’s been part of collaborative efforts with nonprofits and community partners, including county‑wide initiatives modeled on the same type of rapid, coordinated approach used during the COVID response.​

So when he talks about safer streets, better schools, and stronger families, it’s not theoretical; he’s already been involved in cross‑sector collaborations with more than 150 nonprofits to tackle long‑term community needs in a structured, data‑driven way.​

The values and skills he brings to the table

Okay, so what does Harold actually bring into a Shelby County Mayor role? Let’s stack it out in plain language.

• Lived experience + policy experience: He grew up working‑class, in a big family, with a front‑row seat to what it means to grind and show up every day, and then layered that with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration. That combo matters because he understands both the human side and the systems side of county problems.​

• Public safety and crime‑reduction chops: He has run community engagement strategies for crime reduction, helped build and revise county‑wide crime plans, and facilitated town halls where residents help shape public safety strategy.​

• Proven leadership in government: From City Council to CAO, he’s already been trusted with oversight of huge, complex operations, budgets, and departments that touch nearly every resident.​

And underneath all of that, there’s a strong “family and faith” thread—he’s a husband and father of two daughters, and he talks about making sure families across Shelby County have access to quality education, economic opportunities, and safe communities in the same breath he talks about his own. That’s not just branding; it’s the lens he uses when he talks about policy priorities.​

What his campaign is really about

So, what is “Harold Collins 4 Shelby County” pointing toward? The campaign is built around a simple but powerful theme: build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Shelby County—together. That means you’re going to keep seeing three big pillars around him: public safety, economic growth, and opportunity for families.​

• His campaign messaging emphasizes decades of leadership, especially in public safety and education, and positions his experience as the key to making real progress, not just promises.​

• The campaign is also using a very “come be part of this” approach—inviting people to join the team, show up at events, and lend their voice to shaping the agenda, not just clapping from the sidelines.​

You’ll see him in churches, parades, forums, and neighborhood gatherings—walking down Park Avenue with supporters in the Southern Heritage Classic Parade or speaking in community spaces that already feel like home to everyday residents. That’s not accidental; it’s exactly the on‑the‑ground presence his whole public career is built on.​

Potential impact on public safety

So let’s talk impact, because that’s where your ROI as a voter really shows up. Given his background, you can expect public safety to be one of the most fully developed parts of a Harold Collins mayoral agenda.​

Here’s what that likely translates to in practice:

• Data‑driven crime strategies with real community voice: He’s already led Operation: Safe Community town halls where residents help shape crime‑reduction strategy, and he’s used those ideas to refine county‑wide plans. As Mayor, that same model could scale—more targeted focus on hot‑spot areas, apartment complexes, and youth violence, but with community input baked in instead of bolted on.​

• Deep partnerships across agencies and organizations: Because he’s worked with more than 100 partner organizations in crime‑reduction networks, he knows how to build coalitions that go beyond police alone—nonprofits, schools, faith leaders, and reentry programs all pulling in the same direction.​

This isn’t “tough on crime” versus “soft on crime”; it’s “smart on crime”—mixing enforcement, prevention, and opportunity, and doing it with measurable goals and shared accountability.​

Potential impact on economic growth and opportunity

Now, if Shelby County is going to win long‑term, it has to be more than just safer—it has to be a place where businesses can grow and families can build stable lives. Harold’s experience with county‑wide initiatives and multi‑sector collaborations puts him in a good position to push that forward.​

Expect his approach to look something like this:

• Leveraging county government as a platform, not a bottleneck: As CAO, he already works across departments to align operations and resources, and as Mayor, he could channel that experience into quicker approvals, smarter investments, and partnerships that attract jobs and small‑business growth.​

• Tying opportunity to safety and education: His past focus on crime, truancy, and youth violence suggests he understands that economic opportunity, good schools, and safe neighborhoods are linked. So you’re likely to see proposals that connect workforce programs, youth initiatives, and neighborhood revitalization, instead of treating them as separate silos.​

The big idea here is that Shelby County doesn’t just need more programs; it needs coordinated systems that move people from surviving to thriving—especially in neighborhoods that have historically been overlooked.​

What makes him different as a potential mayor

So, why Harold, and why now? A few things stand out when you look at his story and his resume side by side.

• He’s already been doing county‑level work at scale. The CAO role gives him hands‑on experience steering major initiatives, managing complex operations, and navigating the realities of budgets, staffing, and implementation.​

• He has a long, specific track record in public safety. Not just talking about crime, but actually leading crime‑reduction initiatives, writing plans, facilitating town halls, and working with dozens of partner organizations across the county.​

• He carries community and family values into policy. That early upbringing—big family, working‑class, faith‑driven—shows up in his emphasis on respect, integrity, and doing the hard, unglamorous work of service.​

If he becomes Shelby County Mayor, the likely impact is a government that feels more connected to everyday residents, more coordinated across agencies, and more serious about turning big goals into actual, trackable outcomes—especially in the areas of safety, opportunity, and quality of life for families.​