BUTLER COUNTY ENGINEER
GREGORY J. WILKENS
Approaching 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 Gregory J. Wilkens, P.E., P.S. 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 the Ohio Department of Transportation (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.
Under Greg's leadership, 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.
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's collaborative efforts with the township and ODOT effected a free-flowing interchange with increased capacity that supports a growing economy along the I-75 corridor. During his tenure, his innovative solutions to safety issues and congestion in intersections and roadways have proven successful and efficient for Butler County motorists.
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.
Greg and the BCEO are affiliated with these professional and community organizations:
American Society of Highway Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
Ohio-Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Governments
Butler County Township Association
Fairfield and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce
West Chester Chamber Alliance
Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown-Trenton-Monroe
Hamilton Vision 20/20 Committee
Greater Hamilton Safety Council Board of Directors
Butler County Transportation Improvement District Board
Butler County Land Use Coordinating Committee Board and Steering Committee
County Engineer's Association of Ohio
Local Chambers of Commerce (Greater Hamilton, Fairfield, West Chester, Middletown, and Oxford)
Butler County Data Processing Board
Butler County Tourism Council
Butler County Township Association
Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments