Nee Xiong
Nee Xiong has been involved with Hmong Early Childhood Coalition since 2015. Nee’s interest and passion has always been in early childhood. She started her career out as a lead teacher in a daycare center to becoming a preschool teacher and program lead at a charter school in St. Paul. Through her classroom experiences, she saw the barriers and challenges families came across in supporting their children. No longer in the classroom, Nee works to advocate for and provide relevant resources to families and caregivers to ensure their children receive the support needed to be successful.
Zang Vang-Lee
Zang Vang-Lee understands the importance of healthy experiences for children, especially during their early years. She is a mom of three who all empowered her to become the advocate and resource for children, families, and community, today. Zang has been in the early childhood field for over 15 years and has experience working with schools, families and communities advocating for more equitable resources and services. She received her Masters of Education and Licensure in K-8 at the University of MN-Twin Cities and Early Childhood licensure at Metro State University. Zang has been a dedicated member of Hmong Early Childhood Coalition (HECC) for over 10 years. She believes in HECC’s mission and vision, working to ensure Hmong children and families have the essential tools and resources they need to do well in life.
Pa Nhia Xiong
Pa Nhia Xiong is a stay at home mom. She has two handsome young boys, ages 1 and 4. She started working in the early childhood field in 2013 after graduating with her AAS in Early Childhood Education. Pa Nhia started to realize that there were not very many young minority children attending childcare centers. She decided to be an advocate for young minority children and their families who were not aware of the resources that were available to them in their community. She further her education and obtained her BA in Human Services and minor in Family Studies. Pa Nhia joined the Head Start executive team in 2016 and have gained an abundance of knowledge about the importance of education for young children under the age of five in the low-income communities. She is eager to be a part of the Hmong Early Childhood Coalition team and be of service to the community.
Bao Vang
Bao Vang recently came back to join Hmong Early childhood Coalition after stepping away for a few years. Being interested in early learning education at a young age, Bao has been in the classroom teaching our young kids to training early childhood educators and providers for over 10 years. With being in multiple learning environments, Bao is motivated to assist in helping families create the village that is needed to raise their children.
Kalia Yang
Kalia Yang, originally from Fresno, CA and raised in Conover, NC, initially aspired to become a teacher. Pursuing her passion for early education, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development and became licensed to teach Birth to Kindergarten. She began her career in an inclusive preschool classroom, then she later sought to broaden her impact. In January 2024, she volunteered with the North Carolina Hmong Women’s Association Inc and started advocating for the Hmong NC community. She was able to co-create and lead KUV Camp, a Hmong language summer camp. Through this experience she hopes to continue influencing future Hmong generations in an uplifting and positive aspect.
Susan Vang
Susan Vang is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of experience. She currently serves with passion and dedication as a HR Specialist at Hmong Early Childhood Coalition since 2022. Holding a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in managing human resources functions and ensuring effective organizational practices. She is dedicated to contributing to the well-being and development of the community’s early childhood programs. Outside of her professional responsibilities, she enjoys spending time and traveling with her family, long walks with her dog, and exploring the outdoors through hiking adventures with friends.
Stacy Xiong
Stacy comes from a Social Work background and has always had an interest to work with children and families. Her passion for Early Childhood came when she had her first child. Stacy started with HECC as a training participant and was empowered by HECC, now she is the Early Learning Coach. Stacy likes to spend her free time with family and friends.
Shelley Houang
Shelley is a parent to a 4 year old boy. As a newly mom to a toddler, Shelley was interested in learning about early childhood development, finding resources and gaining knowledge for herself so she can advocate for her son and family. HECC provided all those information via detailed trainings and amazing programs for her child. Hence, Shelley joined HECC in October 2022 and works part-time as an Outreach Support. Shelley also currently works full time as a Dental Hygienist and is constantly educating her patients and others on a daily basis. Shelley acknowledges that educating, learning and good habits starts at home first for our children.