Public Works Association member Ryan Wilkerson secured second place in the skid steer event at the 2026 American Public Works Association Northern Kentucky Rodeo.
Park Supervisor Chris Whitehead presented the award during the Edgewood council meeting, where officials and attendees recognized Wilkerson’s achievement.
The Northern Kentucky Rodeo is an annual professional skills competition where local public works and utility employees showcase their precision, speed and safety by maneuvering heavy machinery—like backhoes and skid steers—through challenging obstacle courses. This year’s event drew around 100 contestants from various cities and counties across the region.
Wilkerson competed in three challenging events—backhoe, mini excavator, and skid steer—demonstrating his proficiency across different machinery. He was the only one from Edgewood to compete, finishing in second place in the skid steer category.
“It is a very big accomplishment. I mean, it’s awesome that he’s grown this much through the time that he’s been here and learning equipment like the skid steer back, [and] Bobcat. We’re all very proud of him, so we wanted to make sure everybody knew what he did and the accomplishment that he had,” said Whitehead.
