A native of Illinois, Dr. Ellis earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Barat College in 1969 and earned two master’s degrees (marriage and family therapy and organizational behavior) and a doctorate in psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute in 2002 and 2006, respectively. In between these endeavors, she worked as a probate processor in an Illinois bank, raised five children, owned her own retail/wholesale design business and participated in a variety of philanthropic leadership activities in both Illinois and California.