[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF MS. KAO LY ILEAN HER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2021

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor 
the life of Ms. Kao Ly Ilean Her, a Hmong-American leader and 
University of Minnesota Board of Regent who died on May 13 at age 52 of 
COVID-19. Ms. Her was a tremendous advocate and a connector for our 
community and the State of Minnesota. Her passing is a loss that is 
felt deeply throughout Saint Paul and our state.
  A refugee who fled war-tom Laos as a young girl in 1976, Ms. Her and 
her family arrived in the United States and eventually made Minnesota 
their new home. She excelled at academics, graduating from Hamline 
University and earning her Juris Doctorate from the University of 
Minnesota Law School and becoming the first Hmong woman to be admitted 
to the Minnesota State Bar Association. In 2019, she was the first 
Hmong-American elected to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents 
by the Minnesota Legislature.
  Ms. Her put her natural leadership skills to use for others early 
on--founding several nonprofit organizations, promoting the empowerment 
of women and girls and supporting our community in many other ways. She 
was especially dedicated to efforts supporting youth, respecting elders 
and advocating for the arts that enrich and sustain us.
  It was a privilege to work closely with Ms. Her throughout the time 
I've served in congress, and to experience her energy and optimism for 
building a bright future for herself and others. During her service as 
executive director of the Minnesota Council on Asian Pacific 
Minnesotans in the early 2000s, she reached out to my office and 
volunteered to help lead the successful state efforts to resettle Hmong 
refugees arriving from Thailand. Her work to help these new Americans 
transition to life here were invaluable as they reconnected with family 
members, established new homes and quickly contributed to the economic 
and cultural vitality of our community.
  Ms. Her understood the innate importance of family and the power that 
neighbors have in working together for the common good. Her ability to 
connect community members and empower others has spurred new leaders in 
the Hmong-American community and throughout our state. Her own path in 
life inspires a vision for others to believe in themselves and 
determine their own futures.
  My condolences are with Ms. Her's beloved family and many friends. 
Madam Speaker, please join me in tribute to Kao Ly Ilean Her for her 
remarkable life of service and leadership for others.