The Stanford Regulation, Evaluation, and Governance Lab (RegLab) has appointed Preeti Hehmeyer its new executive director, effective March 2. RegLab, based at Stanford Law School, partners with local, state, and federal governments to use data-driven insights and responsible AI to modernize government. 

Hehmeyer has spent a decade in various leadership roles at Stanford University. Most recently, she served as the managing director of the California Policy Research Initiative at Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). In that role, she built and managed research partnerships with state and local governments on issues ranging from tax administration and housing to emerging questions around artificial intelligence and public-sector data use.

“Preeti brings an exceptional combination of policy expertise, operational leadership, and a deep understanding of how the university can innovate with public impact,” said Daniel E. Ho, the William Benjamin Scott and Luna M. Scott Professor of Law, Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), and faculty director of RegLab. “She has exemplary experience helping governments do more with limited resources, and she shares RegLab’s commitment to partnership-based research that delivers both novel insights and practical value for public institutions.”

Hehmeyer has already worked closely with the RegLab during her time at Stanford to facilitate academic connections to government through talent exchanges and an inaugural boot camp on AI for legislative and gubernatorial staff.

“RegLab sets the standard for how academic research can directly inform and improve governance using AI,” Hehmeyer said. “Through collaborative research with government partners, RegLab’s demonstration projects harness the power of AI to responsibly tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing government today. I am delighted to join the team at this important moment.”

At RegLab, Hehmeyer will oversee day-to-day operations and strategy for a growing portfolio of research-practice partnerships with local, state, and federal governments. A core feature of RegLab’s approach is its commitment to open innovation that can be adopted and adapted by governments worldwide. Its recent projects include modernization of the tax system and a general statutory research system used with the San Francisco City Attorney to modernize 16M words of municipal code. 

Before joining SIEPR, Hehmeyer served as assistant vice president in Stanford’s Office of Community Engagement, where she advised university leadership on community-engaged research and helped launch Stanford’s first grantmaking program for faculty-community partnerships. She previously spent five years at the Bill Lane Center for the American West, where she directed operations and built interdisciplinary research partnerships across Stanford’s schools on regional policy challenges such as housing, climate adaptation, and land use.

In addition to her Stanford roles, Hehmeyer has extensive experience in local government. She served two terms on the City of Mountain View’s Environmental Planning Commission, including as chair, and participated in land-use decisions shaping major development projects and housing policy in the region.

Hehmeyer holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master of public administration from the University of Southern California.

About Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School is one of the world’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni are among the most influential decision makers in law, politics, business, and high technology. Faculty members argue before the Supreme Court, testify before Congress, produce outstanding legal scholarship and empirical analysis, and contribute regularly to the nation’s press as legal and policy experts. Stanford Law School has established a model for legal education that provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and a focus on public service.