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3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018 Williams: Gearhart woman on national stage after abuse revelations Continued from Page 1A Williams first reported the abuse in 2013. “Most peo- ple said: ‘Traci, you need to give it up,’” she said. She also reported it multiple times again in 2014 and 2015. The Times story was orig- inally supposed to be more about the #MeToo movement and banking in general, Wil- liams said. “But when the reporter came and dug in, they decided to narrow it down and focus on him (Greenberg), because the story was compelling in terms of the facts. It’s all doc- umented. I thought, maybe if I tell people, maybe I can get some of my sanity back.” After the account went viral, Williams closed her shop on Thursday for the day to deal with the fallout. She’s received nonstop media calls since the story appeared, she said. “This is an ugly story,” Wil- liams said Friday. “This is not how I wanted to be defined. But it’s what I’ve been living. It’s why I’m edgy and jumpy and why my son has PTSD and I have PTSD. I am changed forever.” ‘Perfect neighborhood’ Williams met Greenberg on a blind date in 2007. She was a public relations go-getter and he an all-star at Morgan Stanley in Portland. “He seemed really nice and fun, like he had his act together,” she said. “He took me to his office on our third date.” They married in 2008, blended families and lived a seemingly storybook life among the wealthy and the well-heeled of Lake Oswego, but the reality was anything but. In the five years of their marriage, Williams “was choked, smothered, shoved, pinched and pinned down” by Greenberg, she said. She stayed because he would apologize, promise to get help, and there were periods that life was fun. That is the cycle of abuse she learned more about after she got away. The Daily Astorian Material sent to Traci Williams, including blood and cat hair. Greenberg escalated his erratic behavior, she said, while maintaining a high-flying career as an executive director and wealth adviser at Morgan Stanley. Greenberg’s rage extended to her own children and pets, she said. She knew it would be hard to leave the marriage, “but I didn’t know how hard it would be.” Greenberg’s prominence provided him a free pass. As a “big fish,” he became even more abusive. “Lake Oswego, it was the perfect little neighborhood,” Williams said. “No one wanted to speak up because no one wants to get involved. There’s this illusion that everything is perfect and pretty.” After five years, she made the decision to leave. “He was going to kill me and described in detail how to my face.” Williams consulted an attor- ney, who advised her to leave Lake Oswego for good. She hid out with her children and dog along the Oregon and Wash- ington coasts. They were on the run for almost a month before returning to Portland. “All that time he (Green- berg) was freaking out, call- ing and calling and calling and screaming, threatening, knock- ing on my friends’ doors.” Threats, fines Greenberg violated civil restraining orders meant to protect Williams 14 times, according to police reports and court documents. “I think the fines got to be $120,000 because every time he violated it, he didn’t care, they would just add on a fine,” Williams said. Greenberg was so threat- ening, she fled her house more than 10 times in a six-month period, Williams said. She would receive threatening let- ters, messages, emails and calls, including one reading “I CAN SEE YOU,” made up of letters cut out from magazines. “When a picture of my dog arrived in the mail, police said, ‘We think you should leave,’” she added. “They told me not to let the dog out in the yard.” She filed complaints with Morgan Stanley management in Portland and San Francisco without response. “By propping up some- one and continuing to promote them, what they’ve done is enable him to collect more vic- tims,” she said. A new life After leaving Greenberg, Williams tried to rebuild her life and a career in Portland, joining a startup tech firm as their head of public relations. After attending classes and a workshop, she started volun- teering as an advocate for sur- vivors of domestic violence and was appointed in 2014 to the governor’s domestic violence task force. Ironically, she said, she couldn’t prevent her own abuse. In 2015, everyone at her new company was sent threat- ening email from an anony- mous account using an alias. “I felt like I lost every single thing,” Williams said. “All my sanity, all my peace of mind, my personal health really took a beating, my ability to move around, and to have a sense of freedom.” She became the person “shunned in the grocery store,” she said. Before that, she was friendly and outgoing, the one who hosted the dinner par- ties, helped run the auctions and head committees. “Then I rarely got invited anywhere. I lost a lot of friends. Every- body wants to hear your story once and then they say, ‘We’d rather not.’ And I have friends who are afraid Doug might do something to them.” The alleged stalking and harassment continued. Investigators told Williams they were able to track a 2015 “creepy serial-killer letter” sent to Williams to a Morgan Stan- ley credit card account accessi- ble by Greenberg. “But Doug was crafty and hard to pin down,” she said. Portland police pursued the case for about six months before the federal government was contacted, she said. She took safety and gun training courses. After a trip to Gearhart in 2016, she decided to reshape her life. “I just thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’” “A girlfriend invited me to her brother’s beach house in Gearhart, and my friend said, ‘You should buy the old Pop’s and turn it into a wine bar.’” So she did, hoping the plan might be the “perfect out.” Just in case, she installed nine video cameras around the perimeter. Her remaining friends have been a supportive group, help- ing her start a business that wasn’t what she was trained for or expecting. “One of my friends from Lake Oswego got me up and running with the wine and beer part,” she said. “Oth- ers helped me learn ice cream, merchandising. New friends here in Gearhart have been really embracing of me and my family.” Looking ahead Only after the story broke • Progressive Pot $300 up to $500 • Open to the Public • All Profits Fund Youth Scholarships • American Legion Cafe Opens at 5pm • 18 & Under Welcome with Parent or Guardian • Wednesdays Starting at 7pm • Doors Open at 5pm • Sales begin at 6:30pm A small-town newspaper with a GLOBAL OUTLOOK • 12 Regular games and 2 specials games SEASIDE AMERICAN LEGION 1315 Broadway Street Seaside, Oregon 97138 (503)738-5111 www.seaside99.org Grace Episcopal Preschool WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA A Montessori Based School Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 SPRING IS HERE! last week was Greenberg put on administrative leave. Greenberg is still tweet- ing from his Morgan Stanley account, Williams said. She still suffers from “con- stant fear,” although “a little less” after the Times story. Williams has hired Portland attorney Sean Riddell and is “exploring all my legal options at this point.” The Oregon Coast remains her safe haven. “Gearhart is my little get- away. Yesterday I walked the beach for two hours. It’s fun for me when kids come in (to the shop), and I have a distrac- tion. The buzz in here is good and fun and I think that is a good thing for me.” Requests for comment by The Daily Astorian to Morgan Stanley and Greenberg were not answered. Morgan Stanley spokes- woman Christy Jockle told the Times: “We are commit- ted to maintaining a safe and professional work environ- ment and will take appropriate action based on the facts of the matter.” Enroll Today! T HE D AILY A STORIAN dailyastorian.com One of the Pacific Northwest’s great small newspapers www.GraceAstoria.org 503-325-4691 It’s time to start those home improvement projects you’ve been planning over the winter months – and the Clatsop County Building Codes Division is here to help you. GET A PERMIT – Permits are required for all new construction as well as for specifi c alterations to existing homes, including structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical changes. The person performing the work, whether the homeowner or a contractor, is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits. GET THE RIGHT HELP – If you are considering hiring a contractor, be certain that person is licensed. Contractors are required to be licensed, bonded and insured to protect their businesses as well as you and your home. The true value of a permit lies in the expert inspection of your project that comes with it. Hiring a professional licensed contractor can save you money by utilizing code- compliant processes, implementing sustainable practices, and getting the job right the fi rst time. Do I need a permit for this project? Is my contractor licensed? Clatsop County Building Codes can answer these and other home-improvement questions. GIVE US A CALL AT (503) 338-3697 F O R U M WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 3 WHERE: Astoria High School auditorium, 1001 W. Marine Drive Presented by the Astoria Branch of the American Association of University Women and The Daily Astorian Come listen to and ask questions of primary candidates for Clatsop County Commission, state House of Representatives and U.S.Congress Questions? Bartell.Liz@gmail.com or 503-200-8605