Profile: Norm Long

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When I asked Treasurer Norm Long what inspired him to step up to a leadership position on the No More Stolen Childhoods executive board, he replied with a chuckle, “I was asked.” And while this answer seems self-evident or perhaps even residual from his time answering to superiors in the Air Force, beneath it lays a great sense of moral duty that is sometimes hard to come by in a world that functions on reciprocity and self-benefit.

The Ellicott City-local first learned about No More Stolen Childhoods when he was approached by Wayne Coffey, who served as the commercial insurance broker of Norm’s commercial heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning company, Havtech. Over lunch, Norm learned more about Wayne’s history of childhood sexual abuse and felt compelled to help him make a difference in the lives of other victims.

In addition to being CEO of this company, Norm also supports his church, as well as the nonprofit organizations Fischer House, Heifer International, House of Ruth, and Salvation Army. His philanthropic endeavors prove that he is working to combat the numerous evils in this world, whether that be poverty, domestic violence, or childhood sexual abuse.

This devotion to morality and staying true to what he believes is right is a core value that Norm sees exemplified in the work that No More Stolen Childhoods does.

“There is good and there is evil in the world,” Norm says, “and No More Stolen Childhoods shows the most good in the spaces where there is most adversity.” He hopes that in the coming years, this goodness that NMSC aims to spread will be able to make global impact on an issue that taints the lives of individuals all around the world.

Overall, the ventures that Norm chooses to undertake echo a quote that motivates him both professionally and personally. In the words of General MacArthur, “There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity.”

As Norm so clearly demonstrates, sometimes all you really have to do in times of need is to ask, and from a mixture of generosity, morality, and a deep desire to make a change, the right person will step up and seize that opportunity to help.