MEO’s Heather Wells Earns Debt Management Professional Certification

Maui Economic Opportunity’s Heather Wells has been certified as a Debt Management Professional, which enables her to help clients address financial crisis and better manage current and future finances.

“I am able to provide clients the much needed tools and resources to regain control of their financial lives,” said Wells, business development specialist with MEO’s Business Development Center. “The goal of these sessions is to give my clients the tools they need to implement change that will positively impact their current and future financial situations.”

As a certified Debt Management Professional, Wells will offer three types of counseling:

• Remedial Counseling for clients in financial distress. She will work to find solutions to correct what is not working, providing clients with knowledge and guidance to improve their current financial situations.

• Preventive Counseling for clients who need help learning to better manage their personal finances and might need help planning to achieve their goals – such as saving for a house – while staying on track with their bills. She will assist in creating strong financial habits now to make sure clients can avoid future budgetary problems.

• Productive Counseling for clients who are eager to learn how using their current financial resources can improve their lives. These clients want to accomplish goals but aren’t quite sure how to start saving.

Wells was certified on Oct. 27 for two years by the Florida-based Partnership for Financial Education, which developed the Certified Debt Management Professional program to ensure professionals providing debt management and related services have the knowledge and expertise required by employers, consumers and regulators, according to the Partnership’s website.

To obtain certification, Wells spent months preparing for a timed written exam. She will be required to earn Continuing Education Credits to maintain the certification.

Prior to joining MEO in October 2020, Wells had experience in Borrower Services, assisting student loan borrowers avoid default and establish manageable payment plans. She double majored in college in Business Management and Accounting Procedures with certificates in Bookkeeping and Entrepreneurship.

To contact Wells for assistance, call 808-243-4317 or email heather.wells@meoinc.org.