O&R Names Orville Cocking as New Operations V.P.

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) has appointed Orville Cocking, a former O&R General Manager of Electric Operations, as the company’s new Vice President of Operations.

Cocking succeeds Francis W. Peverly, who had served as VP-Ops since 2011. Peverly retired after over 30 years with O&R and Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Cocking returns to O&R from his post as Vice President of Staten Island and Electric Services for Consolidated Edison Company of New York, O&R’s sister utility. Both companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Consolidated Edison Inc. Cocking’s appointment was effective January 1.

At O&R, Cocking will be responsible for providing administrative, operational and management leadership for the largest organizations in the company. Serving approximately 745,000 people in six counties in New York and northern New Jersey, O&R’s Operations function controls the essential elements of the company’s business for the transmission and distribution of both electricity and, in New York only, natural gas: the systems’ design and operation, their development and construction, their maintenance and repair.

Peverly’s service was praised by O&R’s President and CEO Robert Sanchez. “I commend Frank for his leadership of O&R’s operating groups, as well as his deep involvement in industry, civic and community organizations. I sincerely thank him for his service and wish him well in his retirement.”

Cocking has held numerous positions with increasing responsibility for Con Edison and O&R. In addition to his prior service as vice president of Con Edison’s Staten Island’s operations division and general manager of O&R’s operations, Cocking was Con Edison’s Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Operations; Section Manager of Electric Construction (Networks and Services) in the Bronx and Westchester County and Section Manager of Transmission Line Maintenance.  

Sanchez said of Cocking, “Orville is thoughtful leader who devotes a tremendous amount of time and energy towards supporting our customers. He is a results-oriented, effective executive with an outstanding background in engineering and operations.”

Cocking holds a Civil Engineering degree from Temple University and an MBA from Fordham University. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, New Jersey and Delaware. He has attended advanced professional programs offered by Power Technologies Incorporated (PTI) and certificate courses in Project Management at Stony Brook and Villanova Universities.

Cocking has been recognized for his professional and community contributions. He is a recipient of the YMCA Black Achievers award and was profiled in the US Black Engineer Magazine. He also is a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE-NYMAC), where he mentors scholarship recipients.

About Orange & Rockland

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R), a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, is a regulated utility. O&R provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange & Rockland) and northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company) and natural gas service to approximately 130,000 customers in New York.