Ms. Shannon Clancy - 2026 Inés Pascual Award for Generous Service

For more than thirty years, Clancy has devoted her life to service shaped by a deep respect for the dignity and worth of every person. Her vocation began with a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, walking closely with families experiencing homelessness, and it has continued through more than two decades at St. Vincent de Paul. Over that time, she has helped shape the organization into one of the most relied-upon resources for people facing crisis across the Valley.

Clancy joined St. Vincent de Paul in 2002 and has served in nearly every facet of the organization, from fundraising and development to executive leadership. Since 2022, she has served as CEO and is the first woman to hold that role, following more than two decades of leadership within the organization. That continuity of leadership has mattered.  During her tenure, the organization has responded to some of the most urgent challenges facing Phoenix, including a sharp rise in homelessness and growing instability for families throughout the community.

Under her leadership, the growth and impact of St. Vincent de Paul across the Valley has been unmistakable. In recent years, the organization expanded shelter capacity and strengthened pathways to permanent housing at a time when thousands were living unsheltered across Maricopa County. In a single year, more than 45,000 shelter nights were provided, and hundreds of individuals moved into stable housing. To address food insecurity, millions of pounds of food were distributed and more than 150,000 food boxes were delivered directly into Phoenix neighborhoods. For families on the edge of eviction, millions of dollars in rent and utility assistance helped thousands remain safely housed during moments of crisis.

Clancy has also led the expansion of access to health care through The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix’s Virginia G. Piper Medical Clinic partnership. Each year, thousands of medical, dental, and wellness visits are provided to uninsured neighbors, while hospital readmission rates for clinic patients have dropped to just over three percent, reflecting care that is both compassionate and effective.

At the center of this work is her understanding of service as accompaniment. 

“The work to feed, clothe, house and heal at St. Vincent de Paul is all about accompanying people along their journeys,” Clancy says. “Sometimes that work involves seeing that potential in people before they can see it in themselves and encouraging and supporting them as they discover their paths.”

She also speaks often about the generosity she witnesses across Phoenix and the way service shapes both those who receive help and those who offer it.

“The most joyful people I have ever known are those who find a way to pour themselves out into service to others. We were meant to love and serve one another, to accompany one another on life’s journey.”

As a Jesuit school committed to forming Men for Others, Brophy recognizes in Clancy a model of leadership rooted in service and responsibility to others. A graduate of Xavier College Preparatory, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Maryland, she remains deeply connected to faith-based education and formation. She currently serves on the Brophy Board of Regents, continuing her commitment to leadership in service of community.

In honoring Shannon Clancy, Brophy celebrates a woman whose life and leadership embody the spirit of Inés Pascual. Through generous service and faithful accompaniment, she has strengthened the Phoenix community in lasting ways.