Shawn Klimek is the Evaluation Officer at the Department of Commerce. In this position, Klimek is responsible for overseeing the Department's ongoing evaluation activities, improving capacity for the development and use of evaluation and implementing the Evidence Act through the Learning Agenda and Annual Evaluation Plan.

Klimek worked at the Center for Economic Studies (CES), U.S. Census Bureau, for over 24 years.  Since 2012, he served as an Assistant Center Chief.  In this capacity, he oversaw the research economists for both the LEHD program and the Business Research area.  He also directed the Census Research Data Center program during a period of rapid expansion and transformation into the Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) program.  In 2016, he stood up the Business Dynamic Statistics Group to transition the creation of the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) and Business Dynamic Statistics to production while also developing a series of experimental products to enhance the value of the program.   Klimek has been awarded two Department of Commerce Gold Medals for distinguished performance on the 2020 Decennial Census and FSRDC program and two Bronze Medals from the Census Bureau for achievements on the 2010 Decennial Census and the LBD.

Early in his career, Klimek was a CES research economist working on reclassifying historic business data from the Standard Industrial Classification System to the North American Industry Classification System as well as writing various papers on industrial organization and economic measurement using business microdata.  He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from The Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. in economics and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He was born and raised in Green Bay, WI, currently lives in Springfield, Virginia, and has three wonderful daughters.