Kevin Allen Hassett, born March 20, 1962, was raised in Greenfield, Massachusetts, graduating from Greenfield High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Hassett began his academic career as an assistant professor of economics at Columbia Graduate School of Business from 1989 to 1993, then served as associate professor from 1993 to 1994. Concurrently, from 1992 to 1997, he was a Senior Economist in the Division of Research and Statistics at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He later held the position of Research Director at the American Enterprise Institute prior to his White House roles, including serving as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Donald Trump. Since 2025, Hassett has served as director of the National Economic Council.