Dr. Burks currently serves as Deputy Director of The Governor's Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives for the State of Tennessee, where his focus is on strategic projects to support faith and community engagement. Formerly, he served as the Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, where his role was connecting Tennessee’s faith communities to the behavioral health care system, with the goal of expanding support services. He oversaw the Tennessee Lifeline Peer Project, a state program aimed at reducing the stigma associated with people who suffer from addiction, Tennessee Faith Based Community Coordinators, helping congregations build capacity to combat behavioral health issues in their respective community and the Collegiate Recovery Initiatives which aim to train colleges, universities, and other higher education on how to become recovery allies.

Burks earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from Middle Tennessee State University, his Doctorate from Heritage, and wears the honorable badge of Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Burks has more than 21 years’ experience working with the criminal justice system in various roles, including adjunct criminal justice professor at Motlow State Community College, Criminal Justice Student Research Analyst at Middle Tennessee State University, and Criminal Justice Program coordinator and adjunct professor at Tennessee State University.

Dr. Burks belongs to several professional organizations: Tennessee Supreme Court: Access to Justice Commission; Rx and Illicit Drug Summit Advisory Board; Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Advisory Board; and Tennessee State University (TSU) Criminal Justice Advisory Board.