SeniorSafe: Protecting Your Finances
SeniorSafe: Protecting Your Finances
Elder and disabled adults may have to rely on others for help in their personal and financial activities. Unfortunately, there are people who seek to take advantage of elder adults and disabled adults for their own personal financial gain. Knowing the signs of financial abuse may help save you, your loved one, or senior friend from devastating financial scams or other fraud. Our panelists will give you tips and resources to help spot, prevent and report elder financial exploitation.
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Speakers
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.
Senior Director, FINRA Investor Education Foundation
Christine Kieffer is Senior Director of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation with over 25 years of financial and investor education experience. She manages national, state, and grassroots partnerships, and develops tools and programs for non-profits, law enforcement, victim advocates, and consumers to advance investor protection and fraud prevention initiatives. Christine also oversees research examining factors that contribute to fraud victimization and scam susceptibility and exploring the intersection of aging and financial decision making. In addition, Christine manages financial readiness programs for military families and assists with the FINRA Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study. She serves on advisory boards to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) and the Cybercrime Support Network. Christine previously supported FINRA’s Chairman and CEO on three terms of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability and has led the production of two documentary films. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University with double majors in Economics and Mathematics.
Principal, Long Life Consulting
Ronald C. Long currently works as a consultant in the aging field. He retired in 2022 as the Head of Aging Client Services for Wells Fargo. In this role, he worked with all of Wells Fargo’s business units to help them stay abreast of the changing regulatory environment on issues related to the aging client. Ron has visited regulators and agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia ensuring that they are aware of the challenges facing the older banking and brokerage client, and helping promote solutions that will protect them from elder financial abuse. With his leadership, Ron is helping all business lines focus on the day-to-day needs for aging clients and their families.
He has been a panelist on regulatory issues and is very active in industry organizations, chairing SIFMA’s State Legislation and Regulation Committee in 2015. He was the lead author of a number of comment letters and white papers in the aging area. Since 2006, Ron has taken an important role in the securities industry in reviewing how it engages its older clients. He has spoken at several conferences including the Institutes of Medicine, American Society on Aging, International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and the White House Conference on Aging to name a few. He has given numerous interviews on elder financial abuse to the financial media and other mainstream publications. He is a recipient of the 2002 Friend to the Delaware Investor recognition and Barbara McGinity Service to Seniors Award presented by the National Adult Protective Services Association. He was chosen as one of 12 Influencers in Aging for 2019 by the publication Next Avenue.
Prior to his current position, Ron worked in Wachovia Securities’ Legal Department starting in June 2002, heading up the team focused on regulatory inquiries. Before joining Wachovia Securities, Ron was District Administrator of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia District Office from March 1997 to June 2002. The 72-person office had jurisdiction over both enforcement and regulatory programs in five Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia. The team examined and inspected broker dealers, investment companies and investment advisors. It issued exam reports and made referrals to the enforcement team in the office which would then investigate securities law violations and litigate cases in civil court or assist criminal prosecutors if the cases were criminal in nature. During his tenure, he was recognized in the District as someone who fostered greater collaboration between federal, state and private regulators. He also started a program of visiting all of the U.S. Attorneys in his district in order to enhance their acceptance of criminal securities fraud cases.
He joined the SEC staff in 1990 as an attorney in the Division of Enforcement. There he investigated accounting fraud and insider trading cases. In 1994, he assumed the position of Counselor to Chairman Arthur Levitt. In that capacity, he provided guidance to the Chairman on Commission enforcement matters as well as certain rulemaking issues. He also was instrumental in helping the Chairman launch the first-ever securities arbitration law clinic focused on having law students learn by assisting smaller investors in pursuing securities arbitration claims.
Ron started his legal career as an associate with the San Jose, California law firm of Hoge, Fenton, Jones and Appel, Inc., where he conducted insurance defense and coverage civil litigation in both state and federal courts. He worked in sales for Armstrong World Industries and West Point Pepperell. He is a graduate of Williams College and received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Section Manager, Forensic Special Initiatives Unit
Anna Thomas is the section manager of the Division of Aging Services- Forensic Special Initiatives Unit and most recently a Forensic Specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crimes Against Disabled Adults and Elderly Task Force (CADE). CADE’s mission is to protect older adults and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of at-risk adults, and to prosecute offenders. Currently, her work with the CADE Task Force centers on training primary and secondary responders how to recognize and respond to at-risk adult abuse, researching gaps in current victim services, developing new laws and policies to protect vulnerable adults, and public outreach. Her most recent projects are the launch of state-wide Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) and raising awareness of Benefits Trafficking. Anna hold a Master’s degree in Gerontology from Brenau University and two undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Georgia.
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 current her 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.