Our Expert Staff

Betsy Mayotte

Betsy is the President and Founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA). She has been working in the student loan industry doing compliance and advocacy work for over 20 years and has helped thousands of borrowers with their student loans.

Betsy has served as a primary negotiator for several federal Title IV negotiated rulemaking sessions on topics such as the use of student loans at foreign schools, loan rehabilitation and borrower defense to repayment. In addition, Mayotte frequently conducts regulatory trainings for the higher education financing industry both in the United States and as far away as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She is regularly quoted in the media on student loan issues including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.  She was recently featured in Money magazine as one of the top 50 influential Changemakers in America’s finances.  Betsy was born and raised in Lowell, MA and currently lives in Plymouth, MA.

Pat Torkildson

Pat is TISLA’s Senior Consumer Advisor and Content Editor. She graduated from University of Wisconsin Law School in 1979 and worked as a consumer financial services attorney until she retired at the end of October 2015. She worked for credit union related organizations for 22 years, a few years in private practice, and the last 10 years for Great Lakes Educational Loan Servicing, a student loan servicing company. Since moving to Massachusetts in 2016 she has joined the Massachusetts bar and done volunteer work for the Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Elaine Rubin

With over 15 years of experience, Elaine Rubin is a seasoned expert in student financial aid. She has worked to help students and families navigate the complex world of paying for college and repaying their student loans. Elaine’s background includes experiences in roles in non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors, including seven years with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. Elaine, who is from a multicultural background, is passionate about helping students find their way to success through higher education, in both English and Spanish. Elaine frequently speaks to the media on topics such as FAFSA®, student loan repayment, and financial literacy. She has been featured in several prominent news outlets, such as CNET, CNBC, Kiplinger, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance. She holds a degree in Political Science with a concentration in Public Policy and Administration from Northeastern University. In her free time, Elaine enjoys spending time with her family, finding ways to exhaust a toddler, playing the flute, and cheering on Boston sports teams.

Susan Sullivan

Susan has over 30 years experience in financial aid and student lending. She started her financial aid career at American Student Assistance as a Lender Reviewer in the Audit Department which led to financial aid positions at Emerson College, the former Wheelock College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was the Director of Financial Aid at Bunker Hill Community College and North Shore Community College. Susan graduated from Salem State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, her M.Ed. from Suffolk University in Higher Education Administration and her Ed.D. from Northeastern University in Higher Education Administration.

Addison

Addison is a TISLA Student Loan Advisor. He has degrees from the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and Georgetown University including a Master’s of Public Administration. He has worked with TISLA in various capacities since 2021 including web development and advising. Addison lives in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his dogs, reading, and serves his community as a volunteer firefighter.

Heather

Heather is one of TISLA’s expert student loan advisors. She was born and raised in New Jersey and has spent years dedicating her time to helping borrowers successfully manage their student loans.  She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and helping guide borrowers through the changing student loan landscape. In her downtime, Heather enjoys being a homebody.  She loves binging TV series with her twin sister and baking cookies for her neighbors. 

Unsung Heroes

There are a number of other experts that have contributed their time and expertise to our mission.   Many have done so for free, out of a strong belief that a resource such as TISLA is important to consumers overwhelmed by their student debt.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity these people have shown with their time and dedication to making TISLA a long term success that can continue to help consumers for many years to come. We hope we make you proud.

Alice and Captain Jack

Alice and Captain Jack tolerate Betsy’s presence in their house. Alice was adopted from a rescue in the Midwest just before COVID hit.  She quickly adapted to her new home and job and has become our PR specialist.  She has appeared on most Zoom meetings and many media outlets including surprise appearances on CNN and several local affiliates. The Captain was adopted from a local rescue and was found with his littermates in an abandoned truck.  His role at TISLA is more HR adjacent as he has shown little interest in student loan policy – frankly it puts him to sleep.  Instead he provides comic and stress relief to the rest of the staff by batting noses if we are working too late or splashing around in the bathtub playing with his favorite robot fish.

Bailey and Sherman

Bailey (left) and Sherman (right) oversee the work of our Student Loan Advisor, Addison. Both were rescued from a high-kill shelter in Mississippi via the NHES Briggs Center. Both are AKC Canine Good Citizen certified and Sherman has AKC novice and intermediate trick titles. They are incredibly spoiled and have a special fondness for pup cups.

Katie and Mr. Whiskers

Katie (black) and Mr. Whiskers (white)

Rascal

For the past 12 years, Rascal has been the supervisor and companion of Advisor Elaine Rubin. Despite her furry appearance, Rascal has a human spirit and enjoys spending her free time snoring in the background—the day of a supervisor can be long and exhausting. She has traveled to more than ten states across the U.S., with a clear preference for flying over long car rides. Known as the angel of every party, Rascal loves being surrounded by people and is happiest when she is in the room with everyone else, especially when there’s a chance they’ll drop a snack.

Harry

Harry is Susan’s roommate. He is a terrier/beagle mix that she rescued in early 2020. He loves to snuggle and play with other dogs.