ATTN: Everyone, concerning Riley and his position as CFO

[Meirah Zaïde]

Dagni and Hilwa, I was wondering the same about donations - I think Tree said something earlier in the thread about not taking donations just yet but holding off on that until things settle.

I'm totally up for an emergency fundraiser, if/when that becomes a possibility.

Thanks to execs and admins for the quick actions on this, and for telling us as soon as it became possible to do so.

 

[Siera al'Cere]

I'm with Satara, why didn't he just ask for help?

Other then that I'm completely shocked...

Many thanks to you Mother for bring out balance up to zero

 

[Myralin al'Ser]

It's not easy to ask for help, especially for money. :\ Maybe he thought he could just repay what he took before anyone noticed.

 

[Shaerlyn Storna]

Myralin, it's a nice thought but he could not have chosen a worse time- to have the fund be overdrawn right before FB when so many were planning on having a nice time that was already a bit beyond many of their budgets.. Now they're scrambling to see what they can manage..

I think it's incredibly generous of you to indicate he "thought" about this at all. I don't know him, but I HAVE met many of the folks that have reacted in utter disbelief that he could have done this, and I trust their judgement. I don't know why he did it, but he wasn't thinking, that's clear.

I'm awed by the decisive and professional response of the Execs and Admins on this, though. Really proud to be part of this community right now.

 

[Kassidy Rose ni DaiShan t' al'Kalin]

I have questions , but, right now I feel I need to cool down .

Tai'shar Tar Valon.

 

[Aulrick Vendour]

Honestly? I am not shocked, amazed or anything of the sort. Mostly I feel sorry for Riley... I don't know him personaly, and honestly with my memory being what it is I can't say I remember talking to him on the site, but from his position near the money I guess he was a high up. As such, I cannot even imagine what it must feel like to be so deep in financial trouble that you steal money from people you consider friends, a community you're a part of.
I understand people who are upset, hurt and shocked, people who know him and lost their money, but honestly I'm just feeling so sorry for him.

I also wanted to thank mother and everyone for everything they're doing. Living in Israel I can't say this effects me personaly, but I am amazed at how much people care about this community and what they are willing to do for it.
I don't have much, but I can prolly donate when the option becomes available.

 

[Jaryd Kosari]

I just wanted to post again to reiterate what Shaerlyn just said because it's SO true.

We could have responded with hate and anger and a desire for exacting justice. Instead we have all been amazingly kind, loving, supportive, and fair, not just to the people who've had to put out this fire, but also to the person that caused it. That's pretty freaking amazing.

This is why I love this site.

:grouphug

 

[Natalya Laragan]

Ninya, I was just thinking of the same thing. This will be dealt with, but compassion towards Riley is admirable, too.

:grouphug

Tai'shar Tar Valon!

 

[Samarasin Tavaral]

I have no words right now, other than to thank the admins for stepping up and having this taken care of so quickly.

Just...wow.

 

[Arafel al Dama]

I can only echo my warder. The loss of a friend is much greater than the money.
I am in shock.

 

[Jodea Kegan]

I don't even know how to process this.

Thank you Admin for your swift action and honesty. It is greatly appreciated. As for Riley, I have known him for over 10 years and always thought of him as a man with integrity. While I am not one to just throw someone away when they make a mistake, this is rather hard to overlook. His betrayal of the site and the people here that trusted him is astounding, and I understand why he needs to be banned.

While I have no extra money to donate to tarvalon, I have acted as treasurer of our local Salvation Army board in the past so if you would like advice on how we keep accountable feel free to shoot me a PM. Wish I had more to offer.

 

[Nymala Ingasy]

Riley was one of the first people I met at Anni. It's hard to comprehend, but as one who's undergoing financial issues at the moment, I can unfortunately, understand. We will get over this, I know we will. As soon as I am able to, I will make a contribution to make sure we're solvent again.

 

[Jeffan Caliarthan]

Okay, I really can't follow suit here. Yes, this is someone that we all cared about. This is someone that has donated his time to the Tower. This is someone that has always made us laugh and has been a shoulder to lean on. But this is also someone who has deceived us, lied to us, and has stolen thousands of dollars from us for his own personal use. This is someone who doesn't deserve my sympathy, simply because he had other options, but instead chose to do what he did. I can't find any kind of sympathy for a man like that.

I hope that the hiring process will be looked at a little more closely, especially for such sensitive positions. I hope that legal action will be pursued against Riley, because what he did was disgusting, and there's only so far that sympathy can go. This isn't something that we can just dismiss and try to work out for the best. He stole money from a legal entity, from his supposed friends and colleagues, and he should be taken to court for this.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who has handled this so swiftly. You guys are amazing. I know that this must be difficult for all of you, but I plead with you to not let who he is get in the way of doing what is right.

 

[Leese Sulan]

I hope that the hiring process will be looked at a little more closely, especially for such sensitive positions. I hope that legal action will be pursued against Riley, because what he did was disgusting, and there's only so far that sympathy can go. This isn't something that we can just dismiss and try to work out for the best. He stole money from a legal entity, from his supposed friends and colleagues, and he should be taken to court for this.

^ This.

 

[Marlinya Nedruine]

Wow. I still cannot believe this. In an odd turn of events, Mother was helping Xarr & I pack & clean & move yesterday when she received confirmation of this. When she checked her phone and I saw her face, I thought someone had died.

Those of you who didn't know Riley from way back: He *made* some of our parties happen. At least, the food part. I have memories of him coordinating the purchase of massive amounts of food for the first Colorado Anni, and it seemed to me that he made a lot of things happen that otherwise wouldn't. Xarr & I met him for lunch when we took our vacation to New Mexico a few years back. At the time, it was a complete no-brainer: if we're anywhere near Riley, we make an effort to see him. I really enjoyed that he became a Brown Warder. He was always a huge presence, a constant, on the site. In a big way, he was one of the pillars of the Tower. My first thoughts were to worry about whether or not this would cause a war in the Tower--those who wanted Riley to be punished to the full extent of the law, and those who wanted to protect and cover for him. I wondered if there was any way to help him. But then I thought about Fall Ball, and all the people who have bought plane tickets and scrimped and saved to be able to go, and how their plans were all in jeopardy and probably ruined. (I didn't think of this first because I can usually only make one party a year max.) Because this was not just 'taking a little off the top'--the account was overdrawn, and very large bills still needed to be paid.

On the subject of checks & balances...I don't work in finance, but I recently joined the board on my church, where the treasurer makes her monthly reports. She just took over, and was appalled at the state of affairs, and made some changes. The way it is now: the treasurer has access to the account, but no check-signing privileges. When there's a bill due, she makes sure there's enough money in the account and prints the checks, but they can only be signed by one of two members of the board. This works when she can print a check, take it physically to church, and just show it to one of the guys who signs it. That person is the top dog, financially. The budget sheets we get at the board meetings aren't actual bank statements; they are a spreadsheet that is printed by the treasurer. As far as I can tell, that's the reason we have a treasurer: so that person can deal with the numbers and let us know quickly if all is well. Nobody else at church looks at the bank statements to correct the treasurer. A quick scan of "CFO" on Wikipedia says that "the chief financial officer (CFO)... is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management." So, the CFO reports to the CEO. If he says all is well, then, yes, he is believed, because that's his job. (and also because...Riley )

The problem is that, as far as I know, there is no way for an organization that conducts most of its finances online to be able to restrict people who have access to the account from being able to make electronic transfers and payments on their own. In over a decade, our bills have been paid. Riley had been responsible for major events before, and had proven trustworthy. I confess that I didn't look at his last financial report; I only saw that he posted it, and was glad not to be the person handling all that money stuff.

If there is no way to have the online equivalent where the check-printer is separate from the check-signer, it's impossible to prevent embezzlement of funds; it's only possible to ensure that any embezzlement *will* be discovered, making it a completely unattractive option. My idea: have two treasurers, and monthly (or bi-weekly) reports. The treasurers confer on all payments to be made before they are paid, creating an email trail that the account has been checked. The treasurers can take turns preparing the report: one prepares, and the other double-checks it against the account information. The final report, the one that is presented, includes printouts of bank statements and Paypal histories. The report also includes a section on any discrepancies found, and the reason(s) for them.

Sigh. Even analyzing the problem doesn't make me feel better when it's something of this magnitude. I was very afraid at first, because I thought surely this would break the Tower. But the incredibly quick response (from women who felt as if a close family member had suddenly died), and the rightness of that response (to let everyone know as soon as possible, no matter the reaction), as well as what I've read in this thread, have given me confidence that we will pull through this difficult time. My deepest gratitude goes out to all the Admins, who have put themselves in the position to bear all of the work it takes to keep the Tower going.

Yours in the Light.

 

[Ilissa al'Nari]

I'm...shocked. I don't know any other way to put it. Riley was one of the first people I interacted with in this community, he was my first Mayor, he gave me a ride to the Anni I attended @ Estes Park and to me he has always been one of the very, very, very few men I'd even consider asking to bond me.

I'm glad Riley has chosen to cooperate with Admin in order to clean up this mess. That, to me, is enough to lean towards not wanting him to be dragged into the courts. I feel pity for him too - I can't even imagine the stress he must have suffered over his financal situation to even consider doing something like this.

Thank you to the admin team for how swiftly and compassionately you have dealt with this heartbreaking situation. I can only echo Ninya - my respect for you was high to begin with, but you've just made it even more so <3. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.

 

[Keisha al'Benn]

We have lost a friend, a friend who was obviously in financial deficit and who is now in friend deficit. I am so, so very sad.

 

[Malein Basolaine]

I don't even have anything to say.


BUT I do want to thank Mother and the admins and everyone for handling this situation so quickly, for keeping us involved (because this does affect everyone) and for staying positive and banding together through this. It's so sad that at a time in our lives where we should be focused on those in need in NY and other areas that were affected by the storm, Instead we are having to deal with these other issues.

Throughout it all, the Tower still stands. <3

 

[Emerald ní Róhan]

Viv and everyone: Thank yo so much for responding so quickly and effectively in moving to correct this situation. I know that this must be incredibly stressful for you, and wish I could do something to help.

For those personally affected by the financial aspect I am so sorry that this happened. I have no money for going to events, and I know that I would be furious if something happened to affect my ability to finally do so.

That said, my very first thought on reading the initial post was heartbreak at the thought of never seeing Riley on the boards again. I'm selfish like that. This situation is incredibly heartbreaking, and I almost wish I just didn't know about it.

 

[Aria Kakarot]

While I do get what you are saying, Marlinya, we were told that Board Members were to be held accountable and would have a ”boss” just like every other admin and mod on this site. For Viv to have gone in and removed Riley from the account or even received an overdraft notice she would have had access to the account. There is no reason that Riley should have been the only one aware of the balance.

Not trying to put this all on you, Viv, because it was clearly a matter of trust broken. But there is a reason why members question when new Board members are added. We want to make sure there ARE checks and balances because while you all may go on trust alone it is all of our money lost.

If anything, hopefully we will learn from here.