Savvy Senior: Empower Your Financial Wellness Journey-ATL

Moderator, Award Winning Journalist

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/producer 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.

Co-Founder and Senior Wealth Advisor at Collective Wealth Partners

Shardéa Ages, a Co-founder and Senior Wealth Advisor at Collective Wealth Partners, boasts an impressive 15-year tenure in the financial services industry, with extensive expertise in banking, investment management, tax and estate planning and insurance. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner with FINRA registrations and insurance licenses, Shardéa adeptly caters to her clients’ ever changing financial needs. 

With a Business Administration degree from Florida A&M University, Shardéa’s career spans JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, and Merrill Lynch. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Shardéa is also a highly sought-after speaker and panelist, revered for her insights into financial literacy, transforming financial behaviors and mindsets, and advocating diversity within her industry. Her expertise has led her to collaborate with esteemed entities like the Georgia Secretary of State’s and the North American Securities Administrators Association’s Investor Educator committee, where she contributed to various projects. 

Beyond her career, Shardéa leads pro-bono financial literacy workshops, founded Bridging Financial Gaps for financial literacy, and chaired NAMI Dekalb’s finance committee. Based in Atlanta with her husband, she remains dedicated to strengthening client relationships and serving diverse communities.

Georgia Team Lead, Community Outreach Specialist, Senior Medicare Patrol, AdviseWell Inc.

Nathan Coflin is a graduate of Old Dominion University and has been a fierce advocate for older adults and other vulnerable populations for over ten years. Currently, Nathan serves as Lead Outreach Specialist for the federally funded Senior Medicare Patrol program in the state of Georgia, where he and his team seek to empower Medicare beneficiaries fight the over $60 billion in Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse that occurs nationwide each year.

Senior Special Agent CFE, CACTS, Criminal Investigations Division, Office of Commissioner John F. King

Special Agent Horace has worked in law enforcement for over 27 years. He worked 7 ½ years as a police officer for the Georgia State University Police Department. He left there and pursued a career as an Investigator for the Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office retiring after 16 ½ years of service. He is currently employed with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire as a senior special agent. After obtaining an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University he pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University’s Command College. He is a recent graduate of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Management Program. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner, an At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialist and Drone Pilot. 

During his tenure he has been awarded the Larry E. Quinn Award for honorable police service and academic achievement. He is also the 2022 recipient of the Special Agent of the Year Award.

Principal of Wealth Engagement, LLC

Tiffany Kent is the founder of Wealth Engagement LLC, an independent investment management and financial planning firm. With over 25 years of experience as a Wall Street equity research analyst and portfolio manager at esteemed institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Alliance Bernstein, Tiffany has established herself as a trusted figure in the industry. She is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP) with a deep commitment to empowering individuals, particularly women and those navigating significant life transitions.

Tiffany's primary focus is on promoting financial literacy and encouraging active engagement in wealth management. Her expertise lies in providing individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to take control of their financial futures. Through her work, she aims to equip her clients with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and build a solid foundation for their financial well-being.

Tiffany holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Deputy Commissioner for Supervision for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department)

Melissa Sneed is the Deputy Commissioner for Supervision for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department).  As the Deputy Commissioner for Supervision, she has oversight responsibility for all Georgia state-chartered financial institutions including banks, credit unions, holding companies, non-depository trust companies, and merchant acquirer limited purpose banks.  Melissa is also Certified Examination Manager.  Melissa joined the Department in 1999 as an Assistant Financial Examiner and was promoted to District Director in 2008.  In 2016, she was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Supervision. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Georgia with bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Risk Management & Insurance.  

Founder of Lifewater Wealth Management

Fredrick Standfield is the founder of Lifewater Wealth Management. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional and a Certified Public Accountant.

Lifewater Wealth Management provides financial guidance and wealth solutions that helps you live well. We add value to our clients’ lives by listening and understanding your unique goals; helping you maintain a strong financial foundation, and delivering solutions that bring security and peace of mind. 

I work with clients to develop life enhancing, holistic financial plans; tax & retirement income plans; estate plans for tax-efficient wealth transfer and investment management. His experience includes over 25 years in corporate financial planning, budgeting, analysis and management, and 3 years with the public accounting firm Deloitte and 10+ years in financial planning and investment management.

Fredrick is a fee-only financial planner. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, he is never paid a commission of any kind.

Causes

• Atlanta Habitat for Humanity - Current, Executive Board Member
• Victory Church - Current, Board Member
• The Empty Stocking Fund - Prior, Executive Board Member

Interests

• All things Family
• College Football – Superfan
• All things Personal Finance
• Travel

Assistant Commissioner of Securities/Director Securities & Charities Division Georgia Secretary of State

Noula Zaharis is the Assistant Commissioner of Securities and the Director of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Securities & Charities Division. Her experience includes regulatory compliance analyst at Ekonomou, Atkisson & Lambros, which served as the Investigative Agent for the Georgia Securities Division.  She served as Director of Compliance at Investment Law Group managing the registrations and compliance support for state and federal investment advisers and private investment funds.  She held the position of Vice-President of Compliance at a publicly traded oil and gas company located in Texas.  Ms. Zaharis is a former English and Latin teacher with Atlanta Public Schools and was an associate professor of English at Georgia State University. She serves on the Board of Directors of the NASAA Investor Protection and Education Foundation and on the board of the National Association on State Charities Officials (NASCO). She received her undergraduate degree (BA) in English Language and Literature/Letters from Furman University and Master of Arts, English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Emory University. She holds the Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP) designation.