He holds memberships with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the State Competitiveness Initiative Task Force on Distress Communities, the Board of Governors, the BMW Community Advisory Council, the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce, and the Spartanburg Housing Development Board.

Mitchell was elected to serve in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2005, when he fulfilled the unexpired term of Brenda Lee. He was re-elected in 2006. Mitchell is also the Executive Director of ReGenesis, a "community-based, environmental justice organization" that he founded in 1998. ReGenesis has more than 1400 members and partners with over 120 non-profit, government and private sector agencies. Its goal is to raise awareness of how industrial toxins have previously affected residents in Spartanburg communities.

Harold Mitchell stands out among African-American leaders for his ability to initiate individual action, before rallying community activism and support and enlisting government and corporation assistance. Through his efforts, Mitchell also helped to establish the ReGenesis Community Health Center in 2002, a federally supported facility for Spartanburg residents.

Designed between 2000 and 2002, Mitchell's masterpiece, known as the ReGenesis Environmental Justice Demonstration Project, is a partnership between the city, county and federal governments. This effort was intended to combine clean-up and redevelopment action and is also focused on the revitalization and the re-use of acreage in Spartanburg. The ReGenesis Project has since secured millions of dollars in funding from agencies such as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Department of Transportation.

The project's success has been contributed to Mitchell's ability to coordinate cooperation and ensure trust among government agencies and community residents. Entering 2007, he has succeeded in nearing completion for the five-year timeline assigned to the program. This progression includes movement through three phases: The Investigation Phase, The Planning Phase and the Redevelopment Phase.

Additionally, Mitchell shines among Upstate Black History Makers for his ability to incorporate the planning, implementation, evaluation and review of goals to ensure continuous progress for residents. The goals were created in areas affecting environmental, housing, community facilities, transportation, infrastructure, economic and implementation indicators.

Article information is courtesy of www.regenesisproject.net, www.leadershipforchange.org and www.scstatehouse.net.