Melissa (Stirn) Johnson joined Ehlers as a Financial Advisor on the Minnesota Education Team in 2002. As a Financial Advisor, Ms. Johnson provided assistance to school districts in the areas of school building bonds, operating referendums, tax impact analysis, current and advanced refundings, cash flow borrowing and lease purchases. In December 2005 Ms. Johnson filled a newly created position at Ehlers as a Financial Analyst. She specializes in analysis of refunding opportunities, tracking of data on financial markets and municipal bonds and other related analytical work.

Prior to joining Ehlers Ms. Johnson worked as a Research Analyst at the Department of Revenue, in the Research and Property Tax Divisions. She was responsible for revenue forecasting, analysis of proposed tax legislation, and evaluation of various aid formulas and property tax reform initiatives. She also served as a Research Analyst/Assistant with the Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department, Scott County Department of Administration and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

Certification: Certified Independent Public Finance Advisor by the National Association of Independent Public Finance Advisors

Education: Cum laude graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN in political science. Masters of Arts in Public Policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota