Kao Ly Ilean Her, a pioneering leader in Minnesota's Hmong community and the first Hmong person to serve on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, died Thursday at the age of 52. MPR’s Steven John interviews Dr. MayKao Hang, Her’s longtime friend. Hang says Her helped pave the way for young Hmong American women.
Her, who was elected to the regents in 2019, served for 15 years as the executive director of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. Also an attorney, she was the first Hmong woman to pass the Minnesota bar exam. Most recently, she led the Hmong Elders Center. Her and Hang created a nonprofit, Hnub Tshiab: Hmong Women Achieving Together.