Carlos Manjarrez

Carlos Manjarrez, PhD is the Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Economic Development Administration, part of the Department of Commerce.

As the EDA’s CDO, Manjarrez has harnessed actionable data and clear reporting to support economic strategies that benefit communities nationwide. His roles have involved managing significant federal research contracts, designing national data collection efforts, and executing program evaluation and data management, ensuring that investments are informed by solid research and contribute to our mission of community-driven progress.

With nearly two decades of experience, Manjarrez’s core competencies lie in data analysis, policy research, and qualitative research, with a mission to drive sustainable economic development through data-driven strategies at the EDA. His work is fueled by a commitment to local empowerment, leveraging his urban and regional planning expertise to align with the organization’s culture of facilitating regional economic growth.

Before joining the EDA in 2023, Manjarrez was a Principal at NovaKultura Consulting, where his team managed federal research contracts, and designed and executed national data collection efforts, program evaluation, and data management. He previously served as the Chief Data Officer at the Legal Services Corporation, where he also was the founding director of the Office of Data Governance and Analysis (ODGA). Manjarrez also founded and directed the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is the primary source of federal support for America’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.  Early in his career, he was a research associate at The Urban Institute’s Metropolitan Housing and Communities Center and a research assistant at the American Bar Foundation.

Manjarrez earned his PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Maryland. He conducted graduate studies in Sociology at Northwestern University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Latino Studies from the University of Michigan.