The Partnership Center Staff

Shannon Royce - Director

Shannon Royce brings a wealth of experience to her role as Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS Center).  The HHS Center was formed in 2001, under the George W. Bush administration, to ensure that faith partners and non-profits faced no barriers and were engaged as full partners in serving the poor and helping the vulnerable.  This mission continues today. 

Shannon’s professional background includes both government and private sector experience.  In government, she worked for over seven years on Capitol Hill, including serving as Counsel to Senator Chuck Grassley (now Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee). 

In the private sector, Shannon worked in several faith-based non-profits.  Early on, she led the D.C. office of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a group focused on issues such as sex trafficking, global hunger, and protecting religious liberty.  Most recently, Shannon served as Chief of Staff and C.O.O. at the Family Research Council (FRC), managing day to day operations for a team of 80 in fulfilling the FRC mission of promoting “a culture in which all human life is valued, families flourish, and religious liberty thrives.”

Shannon brings personal experiences that have shaped her perspective to the job as well.  As a cancer survivor, Shannon knows what it is like to be a patient coping with an often confusing healthcare system. In addition, Shannon’s family has been challenged and strengthened through their experiences as a family with special needs.  As a result of her experiences, Shannon has been an advocate in her community to ensure that families with special needs have the supports they need to thrive.

In leading the Center, Shannon sees her role as one of service and stewardship, carrying out the vision of HHS Secretary Tom Price and President Trump.  She received her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University School of Law. Shannon is married with two grown sons and enjoys running half-marathons for fun.

Heidi Christensen – Public Affairs Specialist

Kimberly T. Konkel, MSW – Senior Public Health Advisor

Ben O'Dell – Program Specialist