From the get-go, Norm Ryan seemed an unusual choice as CEO of Haven Humane Society when he took over in May 2007. But Yvonne Preston, Haven board president, pushed hard for him.
At first, some Haven people didn’t know what to make of Ryan. One person described him as having a Johnny Cash swagger. Some animal-lovers were put off by Ryan’s sense of humor, such his wallet photo of rapper Snoop Dog. Others weren’t impressed when he boasted of wearing Armani suits.
Yet others still couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the Norm-and-sons “Picking God” YouTube.com video (that asks for money – send now), so gosh-dern old-fashioned and corny, it almost looked like satire.
People wondered about that guy who worked at Haven barely a year before he resigned.
Was Ryan really so clueless that he didn’t realize a pig-harnessing contest might not fly at an animal shelter? Was he really too full of himself to realize that talking up waitresses at a Chinese restaurant – in Chinese – could appear showy?
But what if Norm Ryan isn’t a criminal? What if his worst crime was being socially clueless, and being a bad fit at Haven Humane Society?
What if he really didn’t embezzle money, as he’s been charged, from Haven Humane Society?
What if he’s innocent?
That’s what he and his wife, Cheri, claim.
I emailed him recently, knowing that if I called, he’d probably hang up on me (a la Yvonne Preston). Much to my surprise (and what do you bet, his lawyer’s?), he replied. At length.
We were even going to meet for coffee, until his wife put the kibosh on that.
Below you’ll find excerpts of emails from Norm and Cheri Ryan. The first two are from him. The second is from her.
Ms. Greenberg,
… I KNOW I’m innocent – so I start from that premise to try to figure out what is motivating the other players in this drama.
…The RPD were called in 9 days after I resigned. Preston’s initial charge was that I had sold pre-1964 silver coins from the Doggie Banks to Chuck’s Coin and then pocketed the money. The part where you write that I resigned in the middle of a police investigation is erroneous.
As far as the supposed irony of my boys and I doing our gospel album commercial; My boys and I have been doing this for years at hospitals, rescue missions, churches, retirement communities and, yes, even Haven fundraisers. Should we stop because some people think I’m guilty of embezzlement? If you were innocent, wouldn’t you continue to act that way?
… You have to understand that there are some serious people who want to hang a felony around my neck and I am not inclined to help them.
… I’m sure you understand if there are elements to this case I cannot address as my lawyer would throttle me.
Norm
Ms. Greenberg,
As the last few months have demonstrated; what affects me, affects my family. I have always valued (Cheri’s) opinion and counsel and she has had to put up with a lot of garbage from the Haven situation. She wanted me to send the attached document to you to explain our position. I agree with the conclusions of this document; that my frustrations with the misinformation that is out there has to take a backseat to my family’s best interests. I don’t like the dynamics of this situation, but I don’t see any responsible way around it.
“Thank you for at least offering me the opportunity to talk about it.
Norm
Dear Doni
… Please consider my thoughts about the current situation with Norm and my counsel to him.
… Things are not always as they seem. It is appalling to see how citizens of our country have forgotten that accusations do not translate into fact. It seems necessary to remind the lynch mob that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. There is a family behind this man. Before the crowd with multiple agendas and histories jumps on the bandwagon, they should stop and think about how they or their families would feel if they were wrongly accused. The process has begun; you can’t unring the bell. What should have been handled as an internal matter with simple questions and simple answers has been taken to a new and unnecessary level of harm for this man and his family (why people have chosen to handle things this way is a mystery).
I would like to tell you all of the details and set the record straight, but Norm’s well-being, my family’s well-being, and the protection of his legal rights would be compromised by further discussion. No good will come out of discussion with people that have already made a decision about guilt vs. innocence (any sampling of the responding blog opinions shows this). We teach our children that it is wrong to judge people. We teach them that people deserve the benefit of the doubt. It is very sad to see adults (at all levels) not take the high road, but instead, the road that best suits their particular agenda and personal biases. …
In order to get the entire story, the truth about all that is involved here, we must wait for Norm’s day in court. …
Sincerely,
Cheri Ryan
(Doni note: I stand corrected. I’d reported he quit in the middle of the police investigation. Apparently the investigation began after he left Haven.)
