RLACEI Submitted by Beverly J. Clark, Publicity Director
Michael R. Wilkinson
RLACEI Board Member
RLACEI Board Member Mike Wilkinson retired in 2010 as part of the ERIP program and set out with his brother Rich the next year to ride their bicycles across the country. He had a great time, but had to cut the trip short when he fell and broke his wrist in Colorado after riding more than 2,500 miles on the bike.
Mike spent most of his 34 years of City service with the City Attorney’s Office as a Criminal Prosecutor and later as a Legal Adviser to the City’s three pension plans: LACERS, the Fire and Police Pension Plan and the Water and Power Employees’ Retirement Plan. He was also the News Secretary to City Attorney Burt Pines for six years. Mike served for 12 years as a Special Operations prosecutor in the Slum Housing Enforcement Unit, jailing slumlords and forcing them to live in their own rundown buildings.
Mike spent two years as the Media Director for the Los Angeles Convention Center, then entered private law practice after he completed an evening program at Loyola Law School. He then began his career as a Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney prosecuting vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving cases in 1983.
Mike and his wife Suzie have a son, a daughter, two grandsons and one granddaughter. Mike and Suzie are very pleased that everyone lives in Southern California and that he and Suzie are able to watch the grandchildren grow up.
Mike enjoys keeping active by riding his Eddy Merckx road bike in Griffith Park and Burbank. He and Suzie like to travel and recently took an exciting trip to South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, highlighted by a three-night safari.
Mike also loves reading and driving his bright red electric car that he powers by solar cells on his roof. He and Suzie took an adventurous 3,600-mile trip to Mt. Rushmore and the southwest in their solar car. It took a lot of planning, but they were able to find charging stations all along the route.
Mike has stepped down as a member of the RLACEI Board effective last May to concentrate his efforts as Commissioner with the LACERS Board of Administration. The RLACEI Board would like to thank Mike for his years of service and contributions to the Board. He has been an invaluable member.
