The Greenville Racial Equity and Economic Mobility (REEM) Commission has tapped Stacey Mills to be its executive director. Mills has a decades-long track record as a bridge-builder in his church community, in higher education and in the Upstate community and will work to advance the Commission’s mission. 

Co-chaired by TD Bank South Carolina market president David Lominack and Ogletree Deakins’ Merl Code, REEM convenes local leaders from various backgrounds around matters of racial inequities, social justice and disparities in key areas that negatively impact the Black community in Greenville County. 

At a press event on Tuesday, Lominack shared glaring data points that drive REEM’s conversations, such as household income, infant mortality rate, home ownership rates, education, and other critical disparities among the Black community. With a vision of absolute racial equity, REEM aims to make prosperity accessible to all.

Mills serves as the senior pastor at Mountain View Baptist Church in Greenville — a role he has held for 25 years. He has served as co-chair of REEM’s education committee, bringing expertise from his leadership of USC Upstate’s Greenville campus and his role as assistant vice chancellor for regional engagement. Mills currently chairs the Urban League of the Upstate’s board and is the south regional trustee for the organization’s national board. 

“We are thrilled to have Stacey lead REEM and guide the actionable recommendations brought forth by the commissioners,” said co-chair Merl Code. “He knows that access to opportunities can change individuals’ lives, and the lives of their families and communities, too. I have no doubt Stacey will leverage his strengths to lead the Commission’s work with heart and compassion, ultimately improving the Black experience in Greenville.”

REEM was created in 2020 by the United Way of Greenville County, the Urban League of the Upstate and the Greenville Chamber. Sparked by a national conversation on race relations amplified by the pandemic, the organizations joined forces to do more to eradicate race-based gaps locally. Using more than 500 collective hours of research and data analysis, the commission has identified five focus areas that will drive the group’s action:

• Income and Wealth
• Criminal Justice
• Health and Wellness
• Education and Workforce Development
• Community Wide Learning

Mills will officially start his new role on May 2, 2022. “I’m honored to step into this role to help make prosperity an attainable reality for Greenville’s Black community,” said Mills. “The REEM Commission has already done outstanding work identifying focus areas, and my job will be to roll out our plan of action and empower the Commission to carry it out. It’s an incredibly exciting prospect.”