 LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced the appointment of Shannon Halijan as Deputy of Public Protection Department and Daniel Faulkner as Deputy of State Agencies.“Shannon has been a fierce advocate for Arkansans harmed by bad actors and con artists,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “She has a long history of enforcing the law to protect some of Arkansas’s most vulnerable citizens and has already made a huge difference in identifying some of the most challenging scam artists in the state. I am thrilled to have her energy and drive on my leadership team.”Halijan took over the Deputy role September 1, 2021, replacing Charles Harder who retired at the end of August. Prior to her appointment, Halijan was an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division focused on consumer education, enforcement, and legislative initiatives related to scam disruption, health fraud, and financial exploitation. Before joining Attorney General Rutledge’s Administration, Halijan served as an Assistant Director in the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services at the Arkansas Department of Human Services and oversaw programs such as Adult Protective Services, Senior Medicaid Patrol, and the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. She also functioned as the principal investigator for a $1.2 million grant awarded by the Administration of Community Living, which enabled the Division to evaluate and upgrade practices, improve systems and data collection, perform data analytics, and streamline reporting to federal partners. Halijan previously served as regulatory counsel at the Arkansas Securities Department and had a private practice that focused on domestic relations. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in computer information systems from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association’s Leadership Academy Class of 2011-2012 and holds a Yellow Belt certification in Lean Six Sigma. Halijan is actively involved with both community and professional organizations and lives on a rice farm with her husband Darin and daughter Anna. |
“As a voice of reason and a seasoned legal expert representing numerous state agencies and commissions, Daniel’s appointment as Deputy was a natural fit for State Agencies,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “He has done an exceptional job representing my office and his commitment to the state does not go unnoticed or unappreciated, and I could not be more proud to have him represent my office on these often complex legal matters.”Faulkner was officially appointed Deputy July 26, 2021, replacing Olan Reeves. Prior to the appointment, Faulkner served as an Assistant Attorney General with the State Agencies Department since 2016. He represented agencies, boards and commissions in the areas of administrative law, contracts, employment law and Freedom of Information Act compliance. Prior to joining the Attorney General Rutledge’s administration, Faulkner was an attorney for the Arkansas Department of Labor, primarily handling wage and hour litigation, wage disputes and technical licensing boards. He also served as a member of the Attorney General’s State Task Force for the Prevention of Human Trafficking. He earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Central Arkansas. He is an avid Arkansas Razorback fan and a high school football official. He lives in Conway with his wife Jessica and daughters Mary Helen and Anna Claire.