Regina D. Heise

Regina De Leonardis Heise joins the University of Kansas as an instructor in the School of Business after nearly 30 years with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. During her federal career, she served for 10 years as the regional director for the Midwest region of the U.S. Commercial Service, overseeing trade promotion activities in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Previously, Heise served as the director of the U.S. Commercial Service-Kansas City office and as the deputy director of the Trade Information Center in Washington, D.C. Heise began her federal career in 1996 as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of Commerce. She received SES certification from the Office of Personal Management in 2011, served as a member of the ITA Coaching Cadre and was a past chair of the Greater Kansas City Federal Executive Board. 

She is originally from Chicago and received her Bachelor of Arts in international studies from DePaul University in Chicago. She earned a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. She is married, has two children, and a dog. Heise is an active volunteer with her church community and enjoys cooking, crafting, reading, and watching sports.