Elaina Johannessen

Elaina is the Program Director of Debt Management Operations and Support and has been a major contributor to LSS’ financial wellness blog, Sense and Centsibility. She is passionate about everyone thriving in their lives and not just surviving. In her role, Elaina shares her knowledge about the importance of saving for emergencies and retirement.

Elaina has been interviewed by NerdWallet, and her blogs have been published by America Saves and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). She has presented at local and national conferences, discussing financial wellness and debt management plans.

Elaina started with LSS in 2009 providing budget and housing counseling. Over the years, she supervised counselors as well as the scheduling team. She graduated from Hamline University with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and earned her Master of Arts in Management from the College of St. Scholastica.

Prior to joining the LSS team, Elaina was a Financial and Employment Planner for the Wisconsin Works (W2) program, providing case management to low-income families.