Investment Fraud

Moderator

Donna Lowry is an award-winning journalist who combines a passion for storytelling and a desire to empower others with communication and critical thinking skills surrounding political, educational, and financial  issues.

Through her firm, Donna Lowry Communications, she provides consulting, writing, and producing services for educational, media, professional, and business outlets.

Donna serves as host for several programs, including Lawmakers on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Donna is an eight-time Emmy award winner, a three-time national Gabriel Award recipient, and has garnered honors from countless organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists, Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, Georgia Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE).

Her media peers inducted Donna into the prestigious NATAS Southeast Silver Circle to recognize her lasting contributions to the broadcast industry.

Donna has a master's in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Administration and Management from Chatham University.

Her professional affiliations include the Atlanta Press Club, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Southeastern Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS SE). 

In her 15th year as a Girl Scout Leader, Donna has led girls ranging in age from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her community service affiliations also include Magnolia (GA) Chapter of Links, Inc., and Nu Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.  

Donna and her husband, Army Major (Ret) Bennet W. Reid, Jr., are the parents of three daughters. 

Financial Forensic Specialist, Georgia Department of Human Services

Mr. Blake is a Financial Forensic Specialist with the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Aging Services Forensic Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU) and a member of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Crimes Against the Disabled and Elderly (CADE) Task Force. Before joining DHS in 2010, Mr. Blake served with the DeKalb County Police Department and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office as the chief investigator over the White-Collar Crime Unit. Mr. Blake is an ACFE Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), an NW3C Certified Economic Crimes Forensic Examiner (CECFE), a State of Georgia POST Certified Instructor, and is a co-developer of and a principal instructor for the Certified At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialist certification course (CACTS).

Co-founder, Chaiken Ghali LLP

Kamal Ghali is a co-founder of Chaiken Ghali LLP, a former federal prosecutor, and a top-ranked white collar criminal defense and business litigation attorney recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.   

Over the last fifteen years, Mr. Ghali has handled some of the biggest criminal and civil cases in the country, including high-profile white collar criminal fraud investigations and trials; high-stakes business disputes involving racketeering (RICO) and fraud allegations in state and federal court; and a range of cybersecurity matters.

He is described in Chambers USA as an “excellent trial lawyer” and an “excellent courtroom advocate, sharp and quick on his feet,” with a “fantastic ability to explain complex legal and technology-related topics” and “particular expertise in matters concerning cybercrime.” He has received numerous awards and commendations for his trial and litigation skills, including praise from a federal judge who described his courtroom performance as “excellent,” “outstanding,” and as hitting a “home run” in the “bottom of the ninth.”

While his work runs the gamut from squaring off against federal prosecutors and regulators in court to conducting corporate internal investigations, he has also secured significant client wins without setting foot in a courtroom. He has successfully resolved numerous criminal investigations without the filing of any criminal charges against his clients and without any negative media publicity. Likewise, he has helped businesses and executives settle contentious, bet-the-company business disputes, including a recent settlement of a multi-billion-dollar dispute over the ownership of two nuclear power plant units.

Before co-founding Chaiken Ghali LLP, he was a partner at a prominent Atlanta-based litigation firm where he led the white collar criminal defense practice, founded the cyber & digital litigation practice, and resolved numerous high-stakes business disputes. Prior to that, he served as a U.S. Department of Justice white collar and cybercrime prosecutor for over six years, including as a deputy chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta. As a federal prosecutor, he worked closely with the FBI, IRS, SEC, and other agencies on white collar criminal matters ranging from multi-week securities fraud trials to high-profile cybercrime prosecutions, including the prosecution of the developers of SpyEye—a notorious malware that caused over one billion dollars in losses worldwide.  He previously served as a judicial law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

President, FINRA Investor Education Foundation
Senior Vice President, Investor Education, FINRA

Gerri Walsh is Senior Vice President of Investor Education at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In this capacity, she is responsible for the development and operations of FINRA’s investor education program. She is also President of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, where she manages the Foundation’s strategic initiatives to educate and protect investors and to benchmark and foster financial capability for all Americans, especially underserved audiences. Ms. Walsh was the founding executive sponsor of FINRA’s Military Community Employee Resource Group. She represents FINRA on IOSCO’s standing policy committee on retail investor education, the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, NASAA’s Senior Investor Advisory Council and the Wharton Pension Research Council. 

Prior to joining FINRA in May 2006, Ms. Walsh was Deputy Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) and, before that, Special Counsel to the Director of OIEA. She also served as a senior attorney in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, investigating and prosecuting violators of the federal securities laws. Before that, she practiced law as an associate with Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. 

Ms. Walsh received her J.D. from N.Y.U. School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College. She is a member of the New York and District of Columbia bars. 

Media & Public Relations Lead, BBB Atlanta & NE Georgia

Simone Williams joined Better Business Bureau Atlanta & NE Georgia (BBB) in January 2021 as the Media and Public Relations Lead. In her current role, she manages brand communications and digital marketing to promote BBB’s mission and services to local associations, Accredited Businesses, business groups, media and consumers throughout the Metro Atlanta area and 47 surrounding counties.

Before joining BBB, Williams spent five years at the Georgia Department of Human Services, leading social media, public relations, marketing and event planning. 

With a passion for communications, she has led several successful social media and communication campaigns for local and national brands in her career. Williams holds a B.A. in mass communications and telecommunications from Georgia College & State University and is a Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated member.