Clitheroe goes from CEO to Rev.

I will not judge a person's calling to the church. That is between a postulant and God. But I find myself shaking my head at the Anglican Church's recent ordination of ex-Hydro CEO, Eleanor Clitheroe.

You will recall that Clitheroe made headlines when she was fired from Ontario Hydro in 2002. After her departure, details of her hefty contract were made public, along with an accounting of expenditures, which, although approved by the Board of Directors, raised the ire of the public.

Clitheroe was paid $1.6 million / year, plus expenses, each of her years at Ontario Hydro. During that time, she amassed $214, 000 in car allowance for herself and $330,000 in limousine expenses accumulated at least in part, by her nanny and two children. She also took home about $170,000 in vacation credits. When she was fired, she was looking forward to cashing in on an exit package of $6 million. As the public was made aware of her perques and salary, her exit total was slashed to $150,000.

Clitheroe's history, and her ordination would be irrelevant, and would mean nothing to me but for one thing:

With a $30-million wrongful dismissal suit against the utility still before the courts, Ms. Clitheroe cannot talk about her departure from the corporate world, but is focused on her path through the spiritual one.

Clitheroe's lawsuit against Hydro One is for $6 million she feels she is owed as part of a severance provision in her original contract, and $24 million in slander damages.

This is a woman who says she has turned to God, but who still nurses a $30,000,000 grudge. Her frustration with the way she was treated by Hydro and the government aside -- the people paying for her 'vindication' -- are the taxpayers/hydro users of Ontario. Along with the $30 million she wants in damages, we are also paying the government or Hydro to defend against it.

I don't doubt Clitheroe's belief that she was called by God to serve, but given that she has stuck with this lawsuit, it would appear that she has not found forgiveness as part of her faith. I have to question the Anglican Church's decision to elevate her to a leadership role. Clitheroe's story is one of voracious greed and pride. Harbouring bitterness and seeking retribution are hardly qualities of grace. The church should have made Ms Clitheroe choose between avenging her reputation and building a new one based on the principles of Christ.

The Post quotes Clitheroe as saying:

"You try to come to grips with the things that happen to you in life, but I don't think you can put them behind you," she said. "I'd say I'm 95% at peace."

One would think that for a person of faith, peace would come through God, not from a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

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