Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Michael Wilkening is a Senior Fellow in the Financial Security Program at the Aspen Institute. Wilkening served as a Senior Advisor for Technology and Delivery at the US Health & Human Services Agency and in the Executive Office of the President prior to joining the Aspen Institute. Wilkening held various leadership roles during his 25+ years in California State government. Wilkening was California’s first Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services. Working directly with the highest ranking officials in government, Wilkening chaired the Innovation & Technology Task Force, to connect the public and private sectors, designing and utilizing innovative approaches to shape California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before his appointment in the Governor’s Office, he was Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency (Cal HHS) and Chair of Covered California. Before serving as Secretary, Wilkening was Undersecretary of Cal HHS for nearly a decade. Wilkening was executive sponsor of the Cal HHS Open Data Initiative and Agency Technology Governance Council.
He earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.
