Savvy Senior: Empower Your Financial Wellness Journey - Savannah

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.

Founder & Principal, Ages Legacy Advisors

Shardéa Ages is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and the Founder of Ages Legacy Advisors, a wealth management firm built to serve women who aren't just building wealth — they're building legacy.

With 17 years in financial services, Shardéa has advised affluent individuals, business owners, and executives across investment management, retirement planning, tax strategy, and estate coordination. Her career began in 2008 during the Great Recession; a defining moment that shaped her commitment to disciplined, long-term financial stewardship.

Her work is also deeply personal. As a widow and the first high-income earner in her family, she brings lived experience to the intersections of grief, wealth, and generational mobility. She has built her practice around helping women create financial structures resilient enough to hold both success and uncertainty.

Prior to founding Ages Legacy Advisors, Shardéa co-founded Collective Wealth Partners and Bridging Financial Gaps, a nonprofit focused on financial literacy access. Her earlier career includes roles at JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, and Merrill Lynch.

She has been recognized as a Five Star Wealth Manager, an InvestmentNews 2024 Rising Star, and a Marquis Who's Who honoree. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the CFP® Board's Ethics and Disciplinary Commission and has collaborated with the Georgia Secretary of State and the North American Securities Administrators Association on investor education initiatives.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

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.

Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Office of the Attorney General Chris Carr, Consumer Protection Division

Shawn Conroy has been serving the public at the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, formerly the Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection, for over 25 years. Currently, he acts as Communications and Outreach Coordinator and is involved in the enforcement of numerous civil statutes. Shawn provides educational presentations to consumers, is a media spokesperson for the Division, tracks legislation impacting consumers at the General Assembly and serves as a resource for its members. He holds an undergraduate degree from Kennesaw State University.

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.

Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

At Edward Jones, we believe it is important to invest time to understand what you are working toward before you invest your money. Working closely with you, your CPA, attorney and other professionals, we can help you determine the most appropriate long-term financial strategy for you and your family.

Chris is a 1998 graduate of Texas State University with a bachelor's degree in mass communication-public relations. Upon graduation from college, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He recently retired after 22 years from the U.S. Army Reserves as Lieutenant Colonel.

His career as a financial advisor with Edward Jones began in the beautiful community of Savannah, GA, in 2007. Chris is currently Series 7 and Series 66 Securities registered and hold both life and health insurance licenses, as well. In 2012, he received the AAMS™ professional designation from the College for Financial Planning, and in 2015, he received the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. 

On a personal note, Chris and his wife, Kristen, reside in Savannah with their five children, Chloe, Christopher, Cayden, Skylar and Ryder. They spend the majority of our time enjoying the outdoors taking neighborhood walks, fishing in the ponds and playing any sport that involves a racquet.

Chris’s branch office administrator, Polly Duck, brings over 20 years of customer service experience to the team and is dedicated to providing you with the highest level of service possible. Please do not hesitate to call her with questions concerning your statements, dividends, stock certificates or general questions regarding your Edward Jones accounts.

Compliance Examiner II and Certified Senior Advisor, Securities & Charities Division , Georgia Secretary of State

Anne Letcher is a Compliance Examiner II and Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Securities & Charities Division.  Her experience includes 15 years of retail banking and 10 years of brokerage industry experience for top 5 banking and brokerage firms.  While Anne worked within the brokerage industry, she obtained the Series 7, 63 and 66 securities licenses. She also has 5+ years working in public finance industry as an Analyst ensuring adherence to policies and consulting service-level agreements with municipal clients.  Ms. Letcher has experience with banking compliance as an Operational Risk Consultant after passing a rigorously recommended exam and managed 20-25 applications while overseeing compliance specialists.  Anne also worked at the American Red Cross headquarters in the Finance Division streamlining the allocation of fixed assets for departments and improving expense management while supporting field disaster responders. She received her undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in business management at the University of Alabama.