JoEllen received her Dietetics degree from Michigan State University in 1993. She also has a degree in Business Administration from Michigan State University. She did her dietetics internship through Central Michigan University in the Saginaw area. She worked at St. Luke's Hospital, teaching Diabetes Classes and overseeing nutrition care plans for inpatients. She started working at Sparrow Health System in 1995 and the Sparrow Regional Diabetes Center in 1999.