The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Nekia Hackworth Jones, Deputy Director of the Division of Enforcement (Southeast), concluded her tenure with the agency on December 26, 2025.
“I am thankful to Nekia for answering the call to return to public service and for her leadership in the Division of Enforcement,” said SEC Division of Enforcement Director Margaret A. Ryan. “She has shown deep commitment to her colleagues, the Division, and the Commission, all motivated by her passion for protecting investors. We deeply appreciate her contributions to the agency’s mission and wish her the best.”
Ms. Jones said, “Serving at the SEC for almost five years has been a pleasure and a privilege. As both Atlanta Regional Director and Deputy Director overseeing the Home Office and the Atlanta and Miami regional offices, I have seen colleagues across this agency show a relentless commitment to protecting investors, impeccable judgment in carrying out the agency’s mission, and tremendous expertise in every aspect of the securities industry. This agency and its exceptional staff are a shining example of public service. I owe a debt of gratitude to Chairman Paul Atkins, former Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda, and current and former Directors of the Divisions of Enforcement and Examinations for entrusting me with this remarkable opportunity to help protect investors and the markets.”
In April 2025, Ms. Jones was appointed to serve as the Deputy Director of the Division of Enforcement (Southeast). In that role, she supervised the agency’s enforcement investigations and litigations across the Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Miami offices.
Prior to that national role, Ms. Jones served as the Regional Director of the Atlanta Regional Office from March 2021 through April 2025. As Regional Director, she supervised more than 100 attorneys, accountants, analysts, securities compliance examiners, and other staff, and she led the regional examinations and enforcement programs covering Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Before joining the SEC, Ms. Jones spent nearly a decade with the Department of Justice including as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. She also served as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and later as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Executive Director of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.
Ms. Jones clerked for the Honorable Sterling Johnson, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Jones received her bachelor’s degree cum laude in business administration from Emory University, and her juris doctorate and MBA degrees from Harvard University.
