Join us for this “riveting” (pun intended) discussion of all things public infrastructure in Greater Cincinnati – and boy do we have a lot to talk about! Nearly every county and municipality are rolling ahead with major infrastructure projects that will enhance the built environment in Greater Cincinnati. Discover what major projects are in the works and how your firm can pursue these opportunities. 

*PLEASE NOTE: OUR VENUE LOCATION HAS CHANGED. MONTGOMERY INN INFORMED US THEY HAD A WATER PIPE BURST AND CAN NO LONGER HOST THE EVENT. WE HAVE SWITCHED VENUES TO BRICKER GRAYDON WYATT*

Agenda
11:15am - 11:50am: Check-In, Networking, Grab Lunch
11:50am - 1:30pm: Call to Order & Panel Discussion
1:30pm: Adjourn & Networking

Our Speakers:

Greg Wilkens, Butler County Engineer

With 50 years of service to the residents, businesses, communities, and traveling public of Butler County, Ohio, few people have had a greater impact on the safety and efficiency of the area’s roadway system than Greg Wilkens. Outside of three years (1998-2000) as Executive Director of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District (TID), Greg has been employed at the Butler County Engineer’s Office (BCEO) since 1973. Serving in the elected position of County Engineer since 2001, he has achieved over $425 million in safety improvements for Butler County. In 2021, he was the first recipient of the inaugural County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO) David P. Brand Safety Award. Most recently, the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) recognized him with a safety award of the same name in April 2022.

Greg’s foresight and avid commitment to safety have manifested into many “firsts” regarding improvements to Butler County infrastructure. He led the nation’s first TID, overseeing the construction of the Butler County Veterans Highway (SR 129) that connected the City of Hamilton and surrounding townships to I-75. Later, as a Butler County TID Board member, Greg collaborated with ODOT for the State Route 4 By-Pass Super Street Improvement project – the first Super Street roadway to be constructed in Ohio and only the second Super Street roadway in the nation.
Additionally, the BCEO installed the county’s first modern roundabout in 2006. Seventeen years and 25 roundabouts later, Butler County continues to see reductions of 100 percent in fatal crashes, 86 percent in injury crashes, and 69 percent in total crashes.
And the 2020 interchange modification to a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at Union Centre Boulevard and I-75 in West Chester Township was the first of its kind in the region. 

Greg Wilkens is a registered Professional Engineer and Professional Surveyor and lives in Fairfield, Ohio, with his wife, Pam. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Eric Beck, Hamilton County Engineer

The Office of the County Engineer provides a variety of important services to the traveling public. These are largely funded by the purchase of license plates and by gasoline taxes. There are 423 bridges and over 500 miles of public right of way - all the responsibility of the County Engineer. These responsibilities include design, construction , inspection, maintenance and study which result in safety improvements or regulations in compliance with State law.

We constantly collect data concerning taxes, utility and boundary location, as well as traffic related information. This data has always been available to the public, but only at a central location or, in the case of traffic data, by telephone. We hope to present as much of this information as is practical on this site. Some types of data will require a users fee which will vary according to type of data and media requested. The Engineer's Office accepts cash, check, Mastercard, VISA, Discover and American Express. A minimum convenience fee of $2.00 will be charged to all electronic payments. Other types of data will be available for download free of charge.

The Engineer's Office is required to provide survey-related services which include surveying, record keeping, providing tax maps, reviewing deeds and maintaining necessary data for the Cincinnati Area Geographic Information System (CAGIS). Over 170 people of various skills and disciplines are employed here. Engineers, Surveyors, Drafting Technicians, CAD Technicians, Traffic Analysts, Construction Inspectors, Clerk Specialists, Traffic Signal Electricians, Construction Equipment Operators and Mechanics are all necessary for this Office to complete it's tasks in a professional and timely manner.

Jeremy Evans, Clermont County Engineer

Evans, a Union Township resident, has served as traffic engineer in the Clermont County Engineer’s Office since 2005. He has Ohio Professional Engineer and Ohio Professional Surveyor registrations, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Land Surveying Certificate from Cincinnati State College.

Evans has been responsible for managing more than two dozen construction projects totaling more than $15 million. His experience includes providing project management, public engagement and administrative support to the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District. Prior to joining Clermont County, he served as a traffic engineer for several private firms in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio.

“Jeremy brings a wealth of experience in a wide variety of areas such as coordination of bridge replacements, landslide repairs, traffic signal improvements, road widening, intersection improvements, new roadway construction and public involvement program support,” said David Painter, President of the Board of County Commissioners. “He has proven himself while providing budget and personnel management, including internal staff and multiple consultant teams, to ensure successful delivery of projects.”

Andy Shahan, Montgomery County Engineer

Andy is a native Daytonian and grew up in Englewood, graduating from Northmont High School.  His mother was a teacher at Northmont and his father was a small business owner. Andy is a proud husband to my wife of 19 years, Katrina, and father to daughters Kassie and Addison, and sons Wyatt and Waylon. His stated ministry is serving young people through coaching in addition to playing guitar on the worship team at Cornerstone Community Church in Franklin, Ohio. He is a driven civil engineer and surveyor with a passion for serving the people in the area he grew up and currently lives.

In his 29 years in the engineering industry, Andy has served as project manager for numerous $50,000 to $150M transportation improvement projects, led the operations of the transportation practice at LJB Inc., a local engineering consulting firm, and most recently became the Montgomery County Engineer after winning election in November.
Andy has coached both high school and youth sports for 24 years. He is currently serving as Bellbrook High School’s Head Varsity Softball Coach and the Youth Director for Dayton Classics Baseball Club.
Andy believes in teamwork and moving the collective to a common goal. He credits organization, effective communication, and ability to build trust and inspire teams are blessings that have allowed him to find opportunities to help others succeed in their personal goals.

Andy is passionate about both vocations – engineering/surveying and coaching – and welcomes opportunities to connect with people to explore potential collaborations.
He is also committed to continuous learning, currently exploring the application of key performance indicators in the public sector to help the County Engineer’s Office improve service to citizens and retain and recruit talent.

Kurt Weber, Warren County Engineer's Office

Kurt Weber, PE, PS became the new Warren County engineer after election in 2024 and is no stranger to the engineer’s office with nearly three decades of service — including 21 as chief deputy engineer.
As the engineer, Kurt Weber said his mission is to design, build and maintain the finest and safest possible county road system for residents and the traveling public of Warren County, which he said was one of the fastest-growing counties in southwest Ohio with charming rural communities, developing urban centers and tourist areas.
Weber earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University. He and his wife are parents to three children and reside in Hamilton Twp.

Chris Ertel, City of Cincinnati Engineer, Department of Transportation & Engineering

Chris Ertel graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) with a concentration in Transportation and Construction Management. Through the cooperative education program at UC, Chris was offered a job with Pflum, Klausmeier & Gehrum, a Civil Engineering Design Firm, specializing in Highway and Traffic Signal Design. In 1998 Chris was hired by the City of Cincinnati in the Department of Transportation & Engineering and received his Professional Engineering license in December of 2002. He currently manages the Transportation Design Section for the City of Cincinnati. Chris mostly handles issues within the City of Cincinnati Right-of-Way, such as street repair and resurfacing, curb ramps, sidewalks, and coordination with utility projects. 

Suzanne Enders, ODOT, District 8

Suzanne serves as the Capital Programs Administrator for ODOT District 8, serving under Deputy Director Doug Gruver. She has been in this role since May 2024 and has over 16 years’ experience with ODOT.  She is a graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.  In 2008, she began her career in the District 8 Environmental department and then in 2012 moved to the District 8 Real Estate Department where she most recently held the position of Real Estate Engineer. 
 
The capital programs department manages the planning, engineering, and construction of projects along the state's transportation system, overseeing the complete project development process from beginning to end. Major work areas include planning, preliminary engineering, environmental engineering, final engineering, real estate and right-of-way, local projects, and construction.
 
Suzanne is a Professional Engineer and lives in Maineville, Ohio with her husband, Jon and their three children.

Lydia Watkins, Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky
Growing up on a horse farm in Northern Kentucky, Lydia Watkins initially dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, in her final semester at the University of Kentucky, she accepted a co-op position with Sanitation District No. 1 and discovered her passion for developing wastewater and stormwater solutions. 

With over a decade of experience, Lydia now holds the role of Senior Director of Engineering, contributing significantly to SD1’s leadership team and spearheading the successful execution of Clean H2O40 projects across Northern Kentucky.

Lydia's remarkable contributions were recognized when she was honored as the 2024 NSPE-KY New Professional Engineer of the Year, a prestigious recognition acknowledging her outstanding dedication to the engineering profession and the community.

The Clean H2O40 program is SD1's commitment to improving the quality of life for Northern Kentucky residents. This long-term initiative aims to completely eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and capture at least 85% of total combined system flow by 2040.

Lydia embodies the dedication and expertise driving Clean H2O40, and she continues to play an indispensable role in making our community a cleaner, safer place to live, work and play. 

Outside of work, Lydia continues to nurture her love for nature, enjoying a small horse farm with her family of five. 

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CPSM CEU
1 credit hour

For any questions on this program or registration, please contact Sam Rossell at [email protected]. 

Online registration closes at 12 pm on 2/24/2026.