Parker Sheppard is the Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis, where he leads a team of economists and statisticians in driving evidence-based policymaking.

Sheppard’s work combines economics, politics, mathematics, and statistics to offer unique insights into the complex forces shaping our economy. With a talent for effectively communicating complex economic concepts, he has successfully engaged diverse audiences through conferences and media appearances. His ability to bridge the gap between academia and the general public ensures that his insights are accessible and relatable.

Sheppard’s research focuses on computational macroeconomic modeling for dynamic policy analysis. He builds and maintains macroeconomic models that inform the foundation’s research and policy recommendations.

He is the author of Heritage’s Federal Budget Growth Model, which enables the assessment of budget proposals and their impact on economic growth and federal revenues. His research and analysis contribute to the foundation’s influential Budget Blueprint.

Before joining The Heritage Foundation, Sheppard gained valuable experience as a research assistant at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, where he developed experience working with the National Income and Product Accounts and the construction of economic data.

Sheppard holds a doctorate in economics from North Carolina State University, where his dissertation studied the role of financial frictions in business cycle fluctuations. He also holds a master’s degree in mathematics and statistics from Georgetown University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in both economics and politics from Washington and Lee University.