Harold Deon Powell was born on September 2, 1974 in Cleveland, Ohio. After a couple of years in Cleveland, Harold and his family moved to Shorter, Alabama, where he would spend the majority of his formative years. Educated in the public schools of Macon County, Alabama, Harold went on to attend Tuskegee University, where he received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science. He is the son of Harold L. Powell, a long-time employee of Tuskegee University and Willie Mae Powell, who is an educator and Mayor of Shorter, Alabama.

While in pursuit of his degree at Tuskegee University, Harold was a member of several student organizations and served most notably as President Pro-Tem of the Student Senate and as President of College Democrats of America (Tuskegee Chapter). Harold also served as the National Vice-President and President of College Democrats of America, becoming the first African America to hold the prestigious positions. He has also been a member of the Democratic National Committee and the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee. After graduating from Tuskegee University, Harold accepted the appointed position of Town Clerk of the Town of Shorter and has held that position for just under eight years. In addition to his position of Town Clerk, Harold acts as the Economic Developer of the Town.

Harold recently offered himself for public service by running for the Democratic Nomination for Chairman of the Macon County Commission. Harold finished a close second in the primary and was forced into a primary runoff with a two-term incumbent and ultimately lost by four (4) votes.

Harold is truly committed to public service and believes in the power of grassroots activism. He is a member of several community service organizations and often volunteers his time trying to help make a difference in the lives of people. He currently serves as 1st Vice-President of the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce, as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Envision Montgomery 2020, a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the I-85 Corridor Initiative, a member of the Board of Directors of the River Region United Way, the longest serving member of the Shorter Volunteer Fire Department (13 years), as well as being an active member of several local clubs and community organizations. He has extensive experience in political campaigns. In 1992, Harold served as a field representative for Congressman Glen Browder’s reelection to the U.S. Congress for Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. In 1996, Harold accepted the challenge of serving as field representative in Congressman Browder’s bid for the U.S. Senate. In 1998, Harold served briefly as Co-Field Director for Joe Turnham’s bid for Congress AL-3.

Harold has been featured in many state and national news publications such as Hannity and Colmes, Fox News Sunday, MSNBC Live, Time, The Montgomery Advertiser, The Auburn-Opelika News and Student Leader Magazine.