Rodney (Rod) O. Powell is president and chief operating officer of Yankee Gas Services Company (Yankee Gas), a subsidiary of the Northeast Utilities (NU) system. Rod is responsible for the overall operations of the company delivering natural gas to approximately 200,000 customers in 71 cities and towns. Yankee Gas is Connecticut's largest natural gas distribution company.

Prior to joining Yankee Gas, Powell was president and chief operating officer of Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO). He was responsible for its electric distribution system and satisfying the needs of WMECO’s 200,000 customers throughout 59 communities in western Massachusetts.

Prior to that, in 2002 he served as vice president – Customer Relations for WMECO’s sister utility, the Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P). Powell was responsible for the interface among CL&P’s distribution organization, customer support functions and the 1.1 million retail electric service customers of 149 towns in Connecticut. He also managed CL&P’s Community Relations, Conservation and Load Management, Customer Services and Economic and Business Development functions.

Powell began his career at NU in 1978 as a budget analyst. He has served as a customer engineering and marketing services consultant, manager in Regulatory Relations, and general manager of CL&P’s Simsbury Area Work Center and regional vice president of the Central Region of CL&P.

Prior to joining NU, Powell worked for Arthur Anderson and Company as a senior staff auditor and as associate director of a federally funded community health program with the University of Connecticut Medical School. Powell serves on the Board of Directors of the Capital Workforce Partners; out going member of the Boards of Directors of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development, Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. Powell currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Capital City Economic Development Authority; treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning; and former president and current northeast region coordinator of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy. Powell is a member of the Liberty Christian Center (formerly Horace Bushnell Church). Powell was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and graduated from Norfolk State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1974. He has three children.