Chief Economist and Research Director

Phil Dean is the chief economist and research director at the Gardner Institute. His research focuses on the Utah and U.S. economies and public finance issues such as state and local taxes and budget management over the business cycle. He also teaches economics, public policy, and public finance as an adjunct instructor and is Co-Chair of the Utah Economic Council.

Before joining the institute in 2021, Dean most recently served as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) under former Governor Herbert, after having previously served in the Herbert administration as State Budget Director and Chief Economist. In this capacity, he directed the work of GOMB in preparing the Governor’s budget recommendations and oversaw GOMB’s state revenue estimates and economic analysis. He served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) and as Western Regional Director.

Before joining GOMB in 2013, Dean worked for the Utah Legislature for nearly a decade, specializing in tax and education. He began his professional career in Sacramento, working on the state budget at the California Department of Finance, where he specialized in education.

Dean holds master’s degrees in public administration from BYU and economics from the University of Utah, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from BYU.

Email: phil.dean@utah.edu

Phone: 801-213-0685