Nyack Man Receives Posthumous Award From Con Edison

From Orange & Rockland Utilities

It’s not every day you meet someone like Ross Dailey.

That’s just one of the reasons the life-long Rockland resident and 43-year Orange & Rockland (O&R) veteran, has received Con Edison’s highest honor, the Living Our Values Award.

Consolidated Edison, Inc., O&R’s parent company, created the LOV award to recognize and honor the values and work ethic of outstanding employees who consistently serve as positive role models in the company and in the community. This year, Dailey, along with five other winners from Con Edison, was selected for this distinguished honor.

The award is being made posthumously to Dailey, who died of cancer on June 29.

O&R President and CEO Robert Sanchez said, “Ross Dailey was a remarkable person — devoted husband and father, dedicated professional, charismatic leader, gifted teacher, safety champion, loyal volunteer and wonderful friend. We are all very proud of Ross and grateful for the many contributions he made to the company and the community. We wish he were here today to share his award with us.”

Dailey, 62, attended St. Ann’s School and later became the third generation of his family to attend Nyack High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Thomas Aquinas College and a master’s degree in Construction Management from NYU Polytech.

Dailey joined O&R in 1978 and steadily advanced to positions of increasing responsibility in Gas Operations. He led the O&R gas team to help make repairs at Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11. In 2015, he became O&R’s gas emergency response leader when he took on the role of Field Operations Planner with the Gas Operations’ Emergency Response Group (ERG). In the years that followed, he led O&R teams on mutual aid assignments all over the northeastern United States. In between emergencies, Dailey served as an educator and safety champion among his peers, placing great emphasis on the vital role safety plays in system operations.

Dailey built crucial relationships with local police and fire departments and conducted dozens of safety training sessions each year with local departments to familiarize them with O&R’s emergency response processes, personnel, and equipment. During these training sessions, he stressed the importance of working safely and precisely around electricity and natural gas during emergency response situations.

As dedicated as he was to his work, Dailey also lived a life of service to his community.

He grew up in a Nyack Community Ambulance Corps family and officially joined the Corps at 15 years old. A lifetime member, Dailey responded to thousands of ambulance calls, and even delivered two babies.

He built sets as part of Nyack’s Drama Club for both the middle school and high school, even after his own children had moved on to college. He also served as a commissioner for the Nyack Water Co., the village’s water utility, for several years.