Michael Wilkes

City Manager
City of Olathe

 

Michael Wilkes, a native of Alabama, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama and his Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia State University. He began his local government career in 1984 as an administrative intern in the County Manager's Office in Jackson County, Oregon. He subsequently worked in Eugene, Oregon, as a budget analyst before going to work for Gwinnett County, Georgia. Though he began work in Gwinnett County as the budget manager, he progressed through the organization to eventually become assistant county manager over the course of seven years with the county.

Wilkes spent six years as the city administrator of Alpharetta, Georgia, the fastest growing city in the state of Georgia. Since January 1999, Wilkes has served as the city manager of Olathe, Kansas, the longest tenure for anyone to have served in that position. Olathe has the distinction of being one of the fastest growing communities (No. 33 according to a 2009 U.S. Census estimate) in America over the last decade and in 2008, Olathe was recognized by Money Magazine as the 11th Best Place to Live in the country. Olathe is also an award-winning community which has received several national awards for various innovative programs.

Since arriving in Olathe, Wilkes has been involved in several community activities. Among his community service, hel is a current member of the Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club; a member of the Executive Committee of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce Board and the Olathe Economic Development Council; a member of the Olathe Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Council; he has served two stints as the chair of the board of directors of the Alliance for Innovation, a national organization focused on innovation in local government; and also serves on the Kansas League of Municipalities board of directors, recently ending his second term as president of that board. He attends Life Church, Overland Park.

In 2023, Wilkes was awarded the Michael E. Copeland Leadership Award from Mid-America Nazarene University. In 2022, he was presented with the Sunflower Award from the Kansas Association of City/County Management. In 2015, he was recognized with the Buford M. Watson, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management by the Kansas Association of City/County Management. In 2007, the Olathe Character Council, awarded him with the Character Award for City Government. He was selected and graduated as a member of the 2005 Class of Leadership Kansas and was named Olathe Citizen of the Year in 2001. Wilkes also was recognized as one of Olathe's 150 Most Notable People (No. 58) in honor of Olathe's Sesquicentennial celebration.

He is married to Holly, and they have two daughters, Rachel and Hannah.