Chair
Chue Her
Chue was first introduced to HECC in 2022 and became a board member in 2023. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been practicing since 2016. Her passion for early childhood work began in 2018 and has continued to grow. Currently, she practices at Vanguard Mental Health & Wellness Clinic, LLC and often collaborates with parents to better understand their child’s needs. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her two daughters and do DIY projects.
VICE Chair
Song Her
Song Her is a Healthcare Trainer at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. She has a Bachelor of Science in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. With over a decade of experiences working with families and the community, she brings a deep passion for supporting children and families through education, advocacy and system-level improvements. Her educational background and professional experiences ground her approach in understanding and ensuring that systems reflect the needs of the communities she serves. As a mother of four, Song is especially committed to creating culturally relevant education and resources that empower families and children. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family (going to the Children’s Museum and Hmong Village) and running.
Secretary
Russell Chapman
Russell Chapman joined the Hmong Early Childhood Coalition (HECC) in 2025 out of his deep commitment to supporting children’s education and ensuring that every child has access to culturally affirming learning opportunities. With over 13 years of nonprofit experience as a community educator, teacher, and program manager, Russell has dedicated his career to empowering individuals and families to thrive and reach their full potential.
Over the course of his career, Russell has also served as a journalist, teacher, and most recently a program manager. These experiences reflect his belief in the power of storytelling, education, and collective action to spark meaningful change. He currently works as a nonprofit program manager, supporting community leaders and communities working toward equity and justice.
As the father of a biracial child of mixed-Hmong heritage, Russell is especially passionate about advocating for his family’s cultural identity and ensuring that children see themselves reflected in their education. He believes that culturally appropriate learning is essential for children to grow with confidence and pride in who they are. Serving on HECC’s board allows him to live out this commitment by helping to ensure that Hmong children and families have the culturally appropriate early learning services, training, and resources they deserve.
Treasurer
Pang Chaxiong
Pang Chaxiong joined the Hmong Early Childhood Coalition board in October 2025, inspired by her passion to nurture and preserve the Hmong language in young children. After becoming a mother in 2021, Pang realized how difficult it was to teach her children Hmong and to find spaces where they could naturally hear and use the language. This led her to create The Chicken Coop – Lub Cooj Qaib, a Hmong bilingual daycare where children as young as 12 months are immersed in Hmong language and culture—through conversation, food, music, and play.
Today, Pang is working on developing children’s books, songs, and learning materials that promote the Hmong language and identity from an early age.
Her professional and academic background centers on early childhood education and supporting children with disabilities. Pang holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota and brings both her experience and heart as a parent and provider to the Coalition’s mission.
Mor Vue
Mor Vue joined HECC in 2023 to help plan their biennial summit. HECC’s vision and mission quickly and deeply resonate with Mor, who has spent the last two decades passionately working to improve the lives of older adults and people with disabilities. She is particularly aware of the stigma surrounding disabilities in marginalized communities, especially within the Hmong community, and believes this stigma has created barriers to accessing the many resources available in Minnesota to help our Hmong children and families thrive.
Mor earned her Bachelor of Science in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota. After nearly 20 years away from school, she is excited to return this fall to pursue a master’s in public administration at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Outside of her professional life, Mor and her husband are avid campers who enjoy introducing their three young daughters to the great outdoors. They would spend every summer visiting state parks across Minnesota with the goal to visit all of them.
Angela Thao
Angela currently works for a nonprofit organization called Hearts & Hammers, which provides free exterior home repairs and painting for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and veterans so they can continue living safely and independently in their homes. She recently joined the Hmong Early Childhood Coalition (HECC) to support its mission of strengthening families and uplifting early childhood education in the community. She is motivated to serve as a Board Member because she is passionate about ensuring Hmong children and families have access to equitable, culturally responsive early childhood education and resources. She wants to contribute my experience and perspective to strengthen the coalition’s impact and help build a strong foundation for our community’s youngest learners. She believes that every child, especially those from underrepresented communities, deserves access to high-quality early education and supportive resources. By empowering families and creating culturally responsive systems, we can set the foundation for lifelong learning and success. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with my children, volunteering at their schools, and supporting a local soccer club, as one of my children plays for a traveling club year-round.
Yangmee Lor
Yangmee Lor is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and she graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2008 with her Bachelor of Science in Family Social Sciences and Youth Studies Minor. She was grandfathered in 2013 by the Board of Social Work in MN. She started her career working at Big Brothers Big Sisters running after school programs in the SPPS School District working with youth and adolescents for 8 years. She made a career shift to health care to provide direct care in home care, was an EW case manager at Thomas Allen Inc in Dakota County, to being a Care Coordinator for HMO plans (HealthPartners & UCARE). She is currently working with the senior population and manages Elderly Waiver Services and CFSS services at Fairview Partners. For the past 6 years, she has been devoting her time as member and board member (Secretary (2020), Co-chair (2021) and Chair (2023-2024) of the Hmong Health Care Professionals Coalition (HHCPC) & sat on the Multicultural Advisory Committee in the Maplewood Police Department. She is passionate about giving back to her own community and loves grassroot community building.