Orange County Employee Celebrates 50 Years of Public Service

For most people, a 50-year career is a remarkable achievement. For Larkin Cockram, it represents five decades of helping Orange County evolve from a largely rural community into one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions.

Cockram, a senior inspector in Orange County Public Works’ Development Engineering Division, recently reached that extraordinary milestone, having began his career in 1976 with Orange County Utilities before transferring to Public Works in 1985.

“Larkin’s tenure is an extraordinary milestone and a testament to his commitment to public service,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “He represents the very best of us, and we’re grateful for the lasting impact he has made on our community and future generations.”

When Cockram first joined Orange County, the community looked much different than it does today.

“It was a simpler time,” he recalled. “We had radios and pay phones, and pagers for communication. In 1991, I got my first personal cell phone. I tell people today I have two too many phones.”

His path to Orange County employment was equally memorable.

“When I went to the Orange County unemployment office, it was one of the few positions that required no skill or formal training,” he said. “I soon realized I was going to an interview I’d been a no-show for the year before, with the same person, hoping he didn’t remember my name.”

After nearly a decade with Utilities, Cockram transferred to Public Works, where he found a career that allowed him to witness — and help manage — Orange County’s rapid growth.

“At first I was going to rid the County of wrongdoing contractors,” he laughed. “But after a couple years, I realized there were more of them than me.”

Cockram quickly learned that success depended less on confrontation and more on building relationships.

“If I had a dollar for every time a general contractor said, ‘That’s not the way we did it up north,’ I’d have a pocket full of money,” he asserted. “So, I worked on them one at a time, building good working relationships and making lots of friends along the way.”

Today, those relationships span generations, and today he works with sons, daughters and grandsons of people he started working with in the late 70s and early 80s.

While his career evolved over the years, several personal milestones stand out in his memory. He married his wife, Paula, in 1983, and welcomed their daughter in 1984 and son in 1991. Professionally, reaching 10 years of service marked an important milestone because it represented retirement vesting at the time.

What ultimately kept him with the County was a combination of opportunity, stability and the people he worked alongside.

“It’s been a steady job with opportunities, workload varies from time to time, many enjoyable co-workers over the years to learn from and teach others,” he said. “The benefits, paid holidays and increasing personal leave helped too, especially when the children get sick.”

Over the course of his career, Cockram watched Orange County transform from a collection of rural communities into a thriving metropolitan area connected by major highways, toll roads and world-class infrastructure.

“The biggest thing is major highways—toll roads like the 408, 417, 429, I-4, and the growth of Orlando International Airport have transformed how people move through the region.”

Asked whether he is proud of the role he played in Orange County’s development, Cockram’s answer is simple.

“Yes,” he said. “I’ve tried to work with owners, developers and contractors to get the best possible product for future residents and Orange County maintenance crews.”

While he acknowledges the County still faces challenges, particularly related to traffic, water consumption and the increasing use of subcontracted services, he remains optimistic about its future, and colleagues say his optimism is matched only by his commitment to the people and projects he serves.

And despite all the changes he has witnessed, Cockram still manages to find humor in reflecting on the past.

“Does the county still look the same?” he repeated. “Now that I wear corrective lenses, yes, it looks a lot different.”

“Larkin is a prime example of consistency and caring,” said Joe Kunkel, director, Orange County Public Works.  “Anyone who has worked with him knows he’s genuine, that he cares about his family, his work, doing the right thing, and delivering the best project for the County and its residents.  He’s the kind of employee we all strive to be.”

As he reflects on his career, Cockram offers simple advice to the next generation of Orange County employees: “Take it one day at a time, set educational goals, put family first and take care of yourself.”

After five decades of service, it is advice earned through experience —  from someone who helped build the Orange County residents know today.