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Kevin Wilkins is a rare blend of visionary technologist, organizational strategist and transformational leader. Kevin blends private and public sector leadership with expertise in business psychology and technology. A former CIO at GE, Swiss Re and Travelers, he now leads digital innovation for Fort Collins, aligning tech with mission to advance equity, access and meaningful impact for employees and residents.
Kevin Wilkins, Chief Information Officer, City Of Fort Collins
Through this interview, Wilkins shares how he transforms local government through collaboration, digital tools and inclusive service, focusing on leadership, curiosity and empathy to drive change.
From Silos to Service: Fostering Cross-Functional Alignment
When I joined the City of Fort Collins, I saw an opportunity to better align departments in ways that could simplify and improve the experience for residents. Many teams were focused on doing the right thing, but they weren’t always connected. My early focus was to build strong cross-departmental partnerships, apply proven practices from across industries and design a more unified service journey for the community.
I wanted to help the city shift from traditional, analog structures to a more seamless, accessible model, one that lets residents interact with us on their own terms. Whether through digital tools, in-person engagement or hybrid.
Just two weeks into my role, the pandemic forced the city into lockdown. What could have been a disruption became a catalyst. Over nine months, I led efforts to stabilize operations and equip teams with technologies to lay the groundwork for lasting digital resilience.
That intense period gave me the platform to challenge the status quo and reimagine how we serve the community. I questioned outdated systems that no longer matched community expectations, which increasingly engage with cities like they do with online retailers or streaming platforms. Our transformation was about rethinking access and user experience.
I’ve also worked directly with our executive leaders, coached our city leadership team and partnered with business owners to reimagine how their organizations can grow in a digital world.
AT A GLANCE
• Connected by Design –Breaking down silos to create unified services that meet residents where they are, whether digitally, in person or both.
• Curiosity as a Catalyst – Retiring outdated terms like “subject matter expert” to champion lifelong learning, growth and curiosity at every leadership level.
• Tech that Serves – Using AI, digital twins and IoT to personalize services, improve operations and strengthen public trust.
• Leadership Through Service – Centering empathy, clarity and connection to lead authentically, build trust and help others thrive.
Leading with Curiosity: A Learning Mindset at the Top
We’ve long referred to our team members, leaders and technical professionals as “subject matter experts.” But over time, I began to see the unintended limitations of that label.
“The most rewarding paths are often the ones you didn’t plan, but were open enough to recognize when they appeared”
That’s why I am removing the phrase from our internal vocabulary and encouraging a shift in mindset. We now celebrate agility, continuous learning and growth. It’s about staying curious, asking better questions and building capacity to lead in new and evolving ways.
Reimagining Cities: AI to Digital Twins
When I think about the technologies that are reshaping local government, I start with the most obvious one. Artificial intelligence has been around, but it’s not the same as traditional machine learning or autonomous AI. This new wave is agentic AI and is changing how a resident, an employee or a business owner can interact with information. It helps people learn faster and navigate systems that were once too complex. It is also starting to rebuild trust in the way the government shows up for different members of our community. We can now serve people with diverse accessibility needs, whether through visual, audio or tactile experiences.
Digital twin technology is something I keep coming back to because of how it changes the way we manage city infrastructure. In the future, we can simulate our water systems, power networks and traffic flows in real time. That gives us the ability to test scenarios, see how systems respond under pressure and make smarter decisions before problems even arise. It helps us build resilience while also being more cost-effective.
What makes this even more powerful is the way it ties into geospatial data. With digital twins, we can map the physical and digital layers of a city, how services are delivered and where the pressure points are. These insight changes how we plan, prioritize and ultimately, serve.
An area that evolves quickly and I believe is critical is how we think about cybersecurity through the lens of zero trust. It is about securing everything, including buildings, vehicles, employees and digital access points. AI and digital twins are driving a shift from scattered, exception-based models to smarter, identity-driven endpoint protection.
This shift is also tied to how we build smarter cities. Connected infrastructure and IoT let us monitor and adjust systems in real time, whether predicting failures or optimizing energy use for sustainability. We can now train first responders and utility crews in simulated environments, allowing them to learn and act without real-world risk.
Humanity in Leadership: Redefining Career Growth
For those working in technology and public service, it’s important to communicate with clarity. That means setting aside the acronyms and jargon because true understanding shows in how clearly you can explain your craft.
The most rewarding paths are often the ones you didn’t plan, but were open enough to recognize when they appeared. If you’re too focused on a specific title or role, you may miss the opportunities that could define your career.
What makes someone a leader isn’t their job title but how they show up for others. It’s about being mission-driven, building others up and creating space for every voice.
That’s the essence of servant leadership—putting service first. When you focus on helping others, not outshining them, you create better outcomes for everyone. You make a real difference and that’s where true success lies.
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