Monty Burks is the Director at the HHS Center for Faith at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS Faith Center), where he advances faith-based and community partnerships that strengthen recovery systems, workforce pathways, and second-chance opportunities nationwide. His work focuses on integrating community-driven capacity with public systems to improve outcomes in behavioral health, reentry, prevention, and economic mobility.

Previously, Monty served as Deputy Director of the Tennessee Governor’s Faith Based and Community Initiative, where he helped lead the expansion of statewide partnerships connecting faith-based and community organizations with state agencies to address addiction, reentry, workforce development, and family stability. He played a key role in developing cross-sector initiatives, convening public-private partners, and strengthening local capacity to support justice-impacted individuals and communities across Tennessee.

Monty also served as Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, where he built an innovative statewide model partnering with more than 1,000 houses of worship to support individuals and families facing addiction and mental health challenges.

Informed by lived experience, Monty brings over 20 years of leadership across behavioral health, criminal justice, workforce development, and higher education. He is a national speaker, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt instructor, and committed mentor focused on translating resilience into systems-level impact.